Fabrication and characterization of Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ nanofibers for nanogenerator applications

Single-phase lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) perovskite nanofibers, with Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ composition were synthesized using the electrospinning technique. Poly-vinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) was used as viscosity controller, size and uniformity of the Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ nanofibers were optimized against different PVP concentrations. The results showed that PVP concentrations play a significant role in the fabrication, homogeneity, uniformity, porosity, and particularly in the diameter of PZT nanofibers. SEM and XRD results revealed the formation of sing-phase Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ nanofibers at 600 °C with an average diameter of ~ 96 nm. The prepared PZT nanofibers exhibited a significantly wide bandgap (~ 3.5 eV) and a high dielectric-constant (~ 1827). The device of single-phase PZT nanofibers was fabricated on interdigitated electrodes to study the current–voltage, impedance spectroscopy, and dielectric characteristics of the PZT nanofibers. The current–voltage characteristics of the fabricated device with PZT nanofibers showed non-ohmic properties. The non-linear I–V characteristics at temperatures between 308 and 408 K indicate two distinct regions. Impedance spectroscopy indicated the presence of non-ideal Debye type behavior in Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ nanofibers and was ascribed to the existence of heterogeneity in the sample. The measured capacitances were assigned to two electro-active regions in the prepared Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ nanofibers. A proto-type piezoelectric nanogenerator based on PZT nanofibers was fabricated to study the piezoelectric properties of Pb (Zr _0.5Ti _0.5) O ₃ nanofibers. PZT nanofibers were aligned on interdigitated electrodes of silver wire, which demonstrated piezoelectric performance and delivered an output voltage of ~ 40 V under periodic stress applications.