Modification methods of polyvinylidene fluoride-based piezoelectric powders and their application in flexible wearable sensor devices
HU Xiaoran
JIANG Longtai
YAO Jianwen
CHEN Junsong
Abstract：Significance Flexible wearable sensors have gained rapid popularity due to the advancement of flexible electronics.Among vari-ous sensing mechanisms,piezoelectric sensors exhibit high sensitivity and energy conversion efficiency for dynamic signals,along with self-powering capability,making them ideal for long-term physiological monitoring.Polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF),a piezoelectric polymer,offers excellent flexibility,biocompatibility,light weight,and stability,rendering it highly suitable for conformal wearable devices.However,its relatively low piezoelectric coefficient(d33)limits the sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio of PVDF-based sensors.Therefore,enhancing the d33 of PVDF through material modification is crucial for expanding its applications in high-performance flexible sensing.
Progress This review systematically outlines the main strategies developed in recent years to enhance the piezoelectric perfor-mance of poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF),aiming to synergistically improve its piezoelectric output through molecular design,composite structuring,and advanced processing.The research primarily follows two pathways:one is chemical copoly-merization,where the introduction of co monomers such as TrFE or HFP reduces the energy barrier for β phase formation,lead-ing to d33 values above 50 pC/N and,further through ternary/quaternary copolymer designs that introduce relaxor ferroelectric behavior,reaching d33 values up to thousands of pC/N;the other is physical blending/compositing,in which piezoelectric ceram-ics or conductive nanomaterials are incorporated into the PVDF matrix,leveraging interfacial polarization and stress transfer to promote β phase nucleation and enhance overall polarization,thereby achieving tunable d33 values ranging from tens to hundreds of pC/N.Supported by optimized fabrication techniques such as electrospinning,high voltage poling,ice template self assembly and 3D printing,the microstructure and dipole alignment can be further controlled to fully exploit the piezoelectric potential of the material systems.In summary,a systematic strategy spanning molecular design,multiphase compositing,and microstructure control has been established,significantly advancing the piezoelectric properties of PVDF based materials.This progress drives the development of flexible,multifunctional,and integrable materials,laying an important foundation for next generation flex-ible sensors,biomedical monitoring,and smart wearable devices.
Conclusions and Prospects Currently,the piezoelectric coefficient d33 of PVDF powder is primarily improved through chemical copolymerization and physical blending.In chemical copolymerization,vinylidene fluoride is mainly copolymerized with mono-mers such as trifluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene,where steric hindrance is utilized to promote dipole orientation,thereby increasing d33.In physical blending,nanoparticles or ceramic powders with high d33,such as BaTiO3,PZT,and ZnO,are intro-duced into the PVDF matrix to enhance the d33 of PVDF powder.Additionally,processes such as 3D printing,electrospinning,and high-voltage poling can further improve the d33 of PVDF powder.With the increase in d33,PVDF-based multimodal flexible wearable sensors exhibit considerable potential in motion monitoring,health management,and related fields.
Keywords：polyvinylidene fluorideflexible wearable sensordoping modificationcompositespiezoelectric coefficient d33
Publication Date：2026-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2026-05-22(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 14-23 )