Design and potential applications of textile-integrated, biocompatible nano-generators obtained by BaTiO3 powders with coaxial, plate, and nanowire shapes

Meeting the increasing energy demands in evolving wearable technologies, being environmentally friendly to our depleting world while meeting these demands and minimizing the harmful effects of lead usage on humans and the environment create an important area of research. In contrast to lead-containing piezoelectric materials found in the literature, designing a PENG (piezoelectric nanogenerator) that provides higher electrical output while eliminating harmful effects on human health and the environment, and comparing it with literature for lead-free piezoelectric materials, constitutes the aim of this study. Among lead-free piezoelectric materials, BaTiO3 stands out as a strong candidate for studies due to its exceptional biocompatibility, high dielectric constant, and significantly high piezoelectric constant. The optimum parameters of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) matrix composites formed with different shapes of BaTiO3, such as equiaxed, nanotubes, and plates, were determined. Flexible nano-generators with sandwich structure were produced using the spin coating method, and these devices were worked on for integration into textiles using lamination and plasma spraying methods. From the PENG devices produced with BaTiO3 in different shapes such as equiaxed, nanotube, and plate, average outputs of 10 V, 11.1 V, and 14.2 V respectively were obtained. In textile integration experiments, the devices showed high resistance to tensile and bending strengths, yielding a maximum output of 2.72 V. The contributions of the structure-property relationships of PDMS matrix composites formed with BaTiO3 materials of different morphologies to electricity generation provide a fundamental understanding scientifically, while also laying down an important infrastructure for the final presentation of BaTiO3-based lead-free materials in textile-integrated PENGs in various application areas in terms of energy production performance.