New Piezoelectric Polymer Fibers

Unmet Need
Driven by the growing market of wearable technology such as smart watches, health monitors, and VR devices, there has been an increase in funding for the fabrication of flexible fibers to be used as power sources. Piezoelectric fibers have proven to be extremely useful in a number of applications due to their ability to convert mechanical vibrations into electrical signals. Numerous modern day devices (microphones, speakers) utilize these piezoelectric fibers as power sources or sensors. The bulk of these fibers are generated through careful crystallization of a series of inorganic compounds. However, this process is very expensive and can result in brittle fibers with poor mechanical reliability, rendering the fibers unusable for wearable technologies. There is a critical need for a new mechanism that creates robust fibers suitable for wearable applications.
Technology Overview
The technology proposed allows for fabrication of small piezoelectric fibers via a simple electrospinning process. The fibers are composed of PBLG, a synthetic polypeptide possessing the highest electrical dipole moment among all organic molecules known to date. The electrospinning process aligns the fiber molecules in a parallel and unidirectional manner, creating sturdy and durable fibers. This technology improves on already existing mechanisms as the electrospinning process is inexpensive and easily prepared. In addition, it produces highly flexible PBLG fibers that potentially contain other chemicals that will enhance the electromechanical properties targeted for specific applications. Due to their mechanical reliability and robustness, these fibers would be an ideal technology to implement into wearable devices.
Stage of Development
Early proof of concept
Publications
X. Liu et al Scientific Reports. 2901: JUN 2017
 

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