PVDF-Based Piezoelectrics for Energy Harvesting and Membrane Separation
This community develops polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites to convert mechanical motion into electricity and to separate liquids, such as oil from water or salt from fresh water.
The work centers on two distinct material applications. First, researchers engineer flexible PVDF films and nanofibers into triboelectric nanogenerators and piezoelectric sensors, often incorporating barium titanate or graphene oxide to enhance charge generation for wearable devices and self-powered systems. Second, the same polymer is processed into hollow fiber and flat-sheet membranes for reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and oil-water separation, with a focus on improving flux and fouling resistance. These applications share a common foundation in polymer composites and nanofiber fabrication, but serve different end goals: electrical energy recovery versus physical fluid purification.
The community is most heavily represented in fluorine research, accounting for 12.5% of all fluorine-related papers, with 4,402 papers in this group. It also contributes significantly to titanium (3.3% share) and barium (3.8% share) research.
The group comprises 14,003 papers, published primarily in the Journal of Water Process Engineering, Journal of Membrane Science, and Chemical Engineering Journal.
Recent work continues to explore both strands, with new studies on machine-learning-designed high-temperature capacitors, wearable triboelectric sensors for sleep monitoring, and responsive membranes for oil recovery.