This chapter provides an exhaustive review of piezoelectric smart materials and their applications for commercialization with the addition of recent research and breakthroughs. Piezoelectric smart materials convert electrical signals into mechanical stresses and vice versa. They are remarkably used in energy harvesting from different processes and diverse human activities. Piezoelectric materials are convenient, readily available, adaptable, and have a speedy recurrence reaction time. Smart piezoelectric actuators embedded into adaptive structures are significant. Recent progress in their applications is evident in the versatile smart wings present in an aircraft, since they correlate with the overall effectiveness. In addition, a wide range of industrial applications, for example, diesel fuel injectors, quick responding solenoids, optical lenses, mechanical technology, vibrational damping, etc., utilize piezoelectric actuators. Further, this chapter aims to address the latest improvements in piezoelectric materials in connection to the realm of nanotechnology.
Top1. Introduction
The global exigencies in non-renewable energy sources have drawn the attention of researchers worldwide in the search for an alternative energy harvesting technology. Conventional power sources such as batteries experience many issues such as limited lifespan, power efficiency, and periodic recharging, which leads to its replacement in portable, remote devices (Safaei, Sodano, & Anton 2019).
Numerous initiatives by now have been made in energy conversion from various forms of energy to electrical energy. As of late, the point of examination in this field has exchanged its way towards anthropogenic energy scrounging, or the harvesting of energy discreetly through numerous biological processes such as breathing, body heat generation, different activities, for example, running, twirling, dancing, etc (Sezer & Koç, 2021). In the field of new-age electronic devices miniaturization, portability, durability, multitasking, high computational capability, and flexibility have become primary considerations (Jain & Mishra, 2015; Sik et al., 2019; Ali et al., 2019; H. Liu et al., 2018), Piezoelectricity, has emerged as the field of study that has shown extensive commitment in energy scavenging led by certain smart materials.
1.1 Smart Materials
When exposed to external stimuli like temperature, stress, magnetic and electric fields, pH, or other chemical effects, “smart materials” can mutate some or all of their properties (configuration, color, structure, electrical properties, etc.) and perhaps even their functions. The substances possess adaptive capabilities and pertain to a class of modern materials that could detect specific impulses from the surroundings and manifest their roles in the response. These can also be named as “intelligent,” “adaptive,” or even “responsive” as they can sense the external effects and summon the responses at the actuators (Salim & Abdulrazig 2020; Ghareeb & Farhat 2018; Qader et al., 2019). Piezoelectric materials, shape memory polymers, magnetostrictive materials are some examples of such Smart materials.