Harvesting piezoelectric potential from zinc oxide nanoflowers grown on textile fabric substrate

ZnO nanoflowers were synthesized on conductive flexible textile fabric substrate by using the simple low‐temperature aqueous chemical growth method and were used for piezoelectric energy harvesting source. Structural characterization of ZnO nanoflowers was carried out by using surface scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The ZnO nanoflowers are uniformly grown over the entire sample. They are composed of needle‐like nanorods, which have hexagonal wurtzite structure with good crystalline quality. The current–voltage characteristics showed good rectifying Schottky behaviour. Contact‐mode atomic force microscopy was used for measuring the piezoelectric output potential. The maximum output potential was found to be more than 600 mV and the corresponding current also recorded was near ～650 nA. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)