Piezoelectric Energy Generation and Harvesting at the Nano-Scale: Materials and Devices

Continuous efforts are being made for alternative power generation techniques for use in devices with sub-micron-scale dimensions. In this work, we have perused through some of these efforts, focusing mainly on devices using materials with piezoelectric properties. In the last decade or so, nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) has drawn worldwide attention for its pathbreaking properties. One of its most extensively-studied properties is its ability to generate power when subjected to mechanical vibration. It can generate a potential within a wide range of frequency vibrations, from a few Hz to thousands of KHz. This can lead to extensive application prospects in many important fields, like self-power generating devices for medical applications, wireless technologies and various sensors, etc. This review looks into reports related to such technology in detail. It also takes into account certain other materials that have been reported for piezoelectric energy scavenging applications.