Unlocking piezoelectric potential of PVDF/Graphene coatings on melamine sponges for sensor technologies

Sensors play a vital role in advancing technology, particularly in fields such as healthcare and electronic devices. This research introduces a novel approach by utilizing melamine sponges, which possess inherent piezoelectric properties capable of generating electricity, as the core material. These sponges are integrated with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and graphene to enhance their functionality, offering a unique solution for next-generation sensor applications. Comparing the piezoelectric effect of two types of solutions with varying material concentrations. The sample with the most excellent condition was obtained at 8 % PVDF-Gr. ATR-FTIR results suggested that the β crystalline phase increased significantly from 28.5 % in the 8 % PVDF sample to 42.85 % in the 8 % PVDF-Gr sample. XRD data is used for a more accurate and precise calculation of the β phase ratio, which shows 79.34 % of β phase. The natural nature of graphene, which has delocalized π-electrons, drastically increases conductivity to five times greater in the 8 wt% PVDF-Gr sample. These characterizations increased the voltage produced in the piezoelectric test. The test includes the voltage produced when the sample is applied with force. The Vpp produced by the 8 wt% PVDF sample with a load of 3000 gr was only 0.3 V. At the same concentration and conditions after adding graphene, the Vpp produced was 3.55 V. These results show that the addition of graphene was proven to increase the piezoelectric effect can improve sensor performance.