Koushik K Rao, Nishat Kumar Das, Sushmee Badhulika
ABSTRACT With the growing need for advanced wearable electronics and human‐machine interfaces, self‐powered pressure sensors have become increasingly important. In this regard, Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) offer an effective solution by converting mechanical stimuli directly into electrical signals, thereby eliminating the need for external power sources. In this study, we report a flexible, self‐powered pressure sensor based on ZrS 2 ‐embedded PVDF/PPy nanofibers fabricated via electrospinning. Hydrothermally synthesized ZrS 2 nanoparticles are incorporated as functional fillers, and their spherical morphology is confirmed through transmission electron microscopy, while X‐ray diffraction verifies their crystalline structure. The addition of ZrS 2 nanoparticles significantly enhances the piezoelectric properties of the polymer matrix by promoting the formation of the β‐phase, as evidenced by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. The PENG is fabricated by sandwiching a nanofiber mat containing 0.3 wt.% ZrS 2 and 0.1 wt.% PPy/PVDF between two copper electrodes, with a polyimide tape layer added around the sensor for passivation and mechanical protection. Under finger‐tapping, the PENG generates open‐circuit voltage of 52 V and short‐circuit current of 0.6 µA. The piezoelectric charge coefficient is measured at 18.8 pC/N, confirming effective stress‐to‐ charge conversion. Furthermore, power density is calculated as 0.9 µW/cm 2 at an external load of 60 MΩ. Notably, the PENG‐based pressure sensor exhibits long‐term durability, retaining stable output over 10,000 mechanical loading cycles, and offers a quick response time of 1 ms. These results highlight sensor's reliability for self‐powered operation and its suitability for wearable electronics, further validated through real‐time demonstrations in activity monitoring, human‐machine interfaces, and smart glove‐assisted industrial tasks.