PVDF nanofibre-based piezoelectric nanogenerators are directly prepared via electrospinning without any post-poling treatment. The effect of the addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the fibre diameter, mechanical properties, β-phase composition, surface and volume conductivities, output voltage and output power are investigated. Increased surface conductivity of the poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibre mats, which plays an important role in the enhancement of output power, is first found by the addition of an appropriate amount of MWCNTs. The maximum generated piezo-voltage exhibited by PVDF nanofibre mats in the presence of 5 wt% MWCNTs is as high as 6 V, while the average capacitor charging power is 81.8 nW, increases of 200% and 44.8%, respectively, compared with bare PVDF nanofibre mats.

We developed a book-shaped triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that consists of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanofibers to effectively harvest mechanical energy. The dispersed graphene oxide in the PVDF nanofibers acts as charge trapping sites, which increased the interface for charge storage as well as the output performance of the TENG. The book-shaped TENG was used as a direct power source to drive small electronics such as LED bulbs. This study proved that it is possible to improve the performance of TENGs using composite materials.

Artificial skin, which mimics the functions of natural skin, will be very important in the future for robots used by humans in daily life. However, combining skin's pressure sensitivity and mechanical self-healing properties in a man-made material remains a challenging task. Here, we show that graphene and polymers can be integrated into a thin film which mimics both the mechanical self-healing and pressure sensitivity behavior of natural skin without any external power supply. Its ultimate strain and tensile strength are even two and ten times larger than the corresponding values of human skin, respectively. It also demonstrates highly stable sensitivity to a very light touch (0.02 kPa), even in bending or stretching states.