COMPOSITION FOR ENERGY GENERATOR, STORAGE, AND STRAIN SENSOR AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

• US 20100294976A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Rice University
• Original Assignee: Rice University
• Inventors: Kumar, Ashavani, Botello-Mendez, Andres Rafael, Maldonado, Mauricio Terrones, Gullapalli, Hemtej, Ajayan, P. M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,310,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/62.9PZ
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/092 Forming composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/852 Composite materials, e.g. having 1-3 or 2-2 type connectivity

Abstract

Compositions and devices for harvesting electrical energy from mechanical and thermal energy, storing such produced energy, and sensing strain based on low cost materials and processes. In embodiments, the compositions are flexible and include a flexible polymer embedded and coated with a nanostructured piezoelectric material.

Claims

1. A composite material comprising:

(a) a flexible polymer; and

(b) a nanostructured piezoelectric material embedded in the flexible polymer, wherein the composite material is flexible.

2. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the composite is operable for a use selected from the group consisting of harvesting electrical energy from mechanical energy, harvesting electrical energy from thermal energy, storing harvested energy, sensing strain, and combinations thereof.

3. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the flexible polymer is a polymer selected from the group consisting of cellulose, paper, and combinations thereof.

4. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the flexible polymer is porous.

5. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, lead titanate, barius titanate, and combinations thereof.

6. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material comprises zinc oxide.

7. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material coats the flexible polymer.

8. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material comprises at least about 50 weight percent of the composite material.

9. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure piezoelectric material comprises nanorods.

10. The composite material of claim 9, wherein the nanorods have an average diameter between about 40 nm to about 100 nm and the nanorods have an average length between about 500 nm to about 1000 nm.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a flexible polymer;

(b) embedding a nanostructured piezoelectric material on the flexible polymer using a solvothermal process to form a flexible composite material.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising using the composite material in a use selected from the group consisting of harvesting electrical energy from mechanical energy, harvesting electrical energy from thermal energy, storing harvested energy, sensing strain, acoustic sensing, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible polymer is a polymer selected from the group consisting of cellulose, paper, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible polymer is porous.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, lead titanate, barius titanate, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material comprises zinc oxide.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material coats the flexible polymer.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the nanostructured piezoelectric material comprises at least about 50 weight percent of the composite material.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the solvothermal process uniformly coats the flexible polymer with the nanostructured piezoelectric material.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein solvothermal process comprises the formation of nanorods of the nanostructured piezoelectric material.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a flexible and porous polymer comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of cellulose, paper, and combinations thereof;

(b) embedding and coating a zinc oxide piezoelectric material on the flexible polymer using a solvothermal process to form a composite material, wherein the solvothermal process uses a zinc acetate solution to embed and coat the flexible polymer with the zinc oxide piezoelectric material.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the solvothermal process comprises:

(a) covering a surface of the flexible polymer with the zinc acetate solution; and

(b) adding a hydroxide solution to the surface to form and grow zinc oxide nanoparticles, wherein as the concentration of zinc oxide nanoparticles grows a quasi-continuous film is formed that serves as seed for the growth of zinc oxide nanorods.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising using the composite material in a use selected from the group consisting of harvesting electrical energy from mechanical energy, harvesting electrical energy from thermal energy, storing harvested energy, sensing strain, and combinations thereof.

24. An apparatus comprising a composite material comprising a porous polymer embedded and coated with a nanostructured piezoelectric material, wherein the apparatus is operable for use selected from the group consisting of harvesting electrical energy from mechanical energy, harvesting electrical energy from thermal energy, storing harvested energy, sensing strain, and combinations thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the composite material is operable for use as an energy harvesting material in the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

(a) a storage comprising an array of conductive one-dimensional nanostructures embedded in a polymer matrix including an electrolyte; and

(b) interconnects and electrodes operatively connected to the energy harvesting material and the storage.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the composite material is flexible.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein

(a) the apparatus comprises a plurality of devices,

(b) a first device of the plurality of devices comprises the composite material,

(c) a second device of the plurality of devices a second composite material comprising a second porous polymer embedded and coated with a nanostructured piezoelectric material;

(d) the plurality of devices are operatively connected; and

(e) at least some of the plurality of devices are connected in series or parallel.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the composite material and the second composite material are the same type.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the composite material and the second composite material are different type.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the plurality of devices comprise at least ten devices that are connected in series or parallel.