Ultra-sensitive flexible accelerometer based on PVDF for self-powered wireless sensing system

Flexible accelerometers (AC) are widely applied in fields such as sensor networks, motion monitoring, and wearable electronics. However, developing self-powered flexible accelerometers with enhanced sensitivity remains a challenge. Herein, a self-powered flexible accelerometer based on electrospun ZnO@PVDF (ZP) is proposed. ZnO provides nucleation sites for the β-phase in PVDF, increasing its crystallization and piezoelectricity. Meanwhile, the piezoelectric performance of the device is further enhanced due to the piezoelectric synergy effect between ZnO and PVDF. ZP-AC has a sensitivity of up to 4.558   V/g (12.2 times higher than pure PVDF-AC), which is an order of magnitude improved compared to the reported other AC based on piezoelectric mechanism. Moreover, the proposed ZP-AC shows superb durability (12,000 cycles). A wireless acceleration sensing system based on ZP-AC is designed through acquisition circuitry and successfully applied to monitor the acceleration of automobile collisions, bicycle wheel rotation, simulated punches, and badminton swings. This study provides significant support for the design and performance optimization of self-powered flexible accelerometers and promotes their widespread application in the field of sensing and monitoring.