Nanocarbons-based piezoelectric structures for energy harvesting: Nanoarchitectonics and recent advances

For the use of energy harvesting products outside the laboratory and on a larger and industrial scale, environmental sensitivities and cost are two very important parameters. In addition to the well-known mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, nanocarbons (NCs) have a very important property, which is the price-performance ratio. Due to these properties, their use in piezoelectric materials is economical and promising. In addition, NCs, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon fibers (CF), graphene (G) and its derivatives, etc., have a large surface area, which facilitates their functionalization in order to improve biodegradability and biocompatibility. In this review, the reasons for the use of NCs in piezoelectric materials are first examined, and then recent research utilizing NCs in energy harvesting materials is reviewed. The objectives of this review are to examine various aspects of NCs, including piezoelectric efficiency, replacement with conventional piezoelectric materials, and review environmental factors.