Super-flexible nanogenerator for energy harvesting from gentle wind and as an active deformation sensor

Using an Al-foil of thickness ≈18 μm as a substrate and electrode, a piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) that is super-flexible in responding to the wavy motion of a very light wind is fabricated using ZnO nanowire arrays. The NG is used to harvest the energy from a waving flag, demonstrating its high flexibility and excellent conformability to be integrated into fabric. The NG is applied to detect the wrinkling of a human face, showing its capability to serve as an active deformation sensor that needs no extra power supply. This strategy may provide a highly promising platform as energy harvesting devices and self-powered sensors for practical use wherever movement is available. A super-flexible and conformable piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) based on cost-effective Al foil is invented. The super-flexible NG can generate output power in light air and serve as an energy harvesting device under the waving motion of an attached flag due to its excellent conformability. The NGs show potential applications as active sensors that are capable of detecting slight skin movement due to their extremely low resistance to motion. This is a highly promising platform to produce energy harvesting devices and self-powered sensors.