Self-powered flexible piezoelectric sensor based on PbZr 0.52 Ti 0.48 O 3 nanofibers for impact force monitoring and rubber mat aging assessment

In this work, a flexible piezoelectric sensor was fabricated based on PbZr 0.52 Ti 0.48 O 3 (PZT) nanofibers (NFs) composite, and its potential applications in impact force monitoring and rubber mat aging assessment were reported. The lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric NFs with diameters of 150–260 nm were prepared via electrospinning technique, showing a high piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ∼ 92.5 pm V −1 ) for piezoelectric fibers. The PZT NFs and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to fabricate a highly stretchable and flexible impact sensor (PZT/CNTs/PDMS piezoelectric nanocomposite sensor), which showed excellent low frequency sensitivity (as low as 0.01 Hz), high bending deformation sensitivity (as low as 0.192 cm −1 curvature deformation with 6.64 V cm −1 sensitivity) and cycle stability under external impact force. Besides, it is the first attempt to assess railway tracks rubber mat aging based on piezoelectric nanocomposite impact sensor, and the static stiffness relative error reaches a low value of 6.91%.