Innovative Wearable Electronics: Next‐Generation Nitrogen‐Doped Lutetium‐Carbon Microspheres Composites for Robust Energy Harvesting
Nargish Parvin, Vineet Kumar, Sang‐Shin Park, Tapas Kumar Mandal, Sang Woo Joo
Abstract
Abstract In the quest to advance wearable electronics, this study presents a novel method using nitrogen‐doped lutetium‐carbon microspheres (N, Lu‐CMS) for high‐performance piezoelectric energy harvesting. The synthesis of N, Lu‐CMS begins with the polymerization of sucrose, followed by the preparation of N, Lu‐CMS metal complexes through the incorporation of lutetium (III) nitrate hydrate and thiourea, yielding a black powder product. The wearable electronic device is designed with a silicon rubber (SR) matrix, reinforced with 0D fillers such as N, Lu‐CMS, or molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). Mechanical testing revealed a significant improvement in compressive modulus, reaching 3.7 MPa (N, Lu‐CMS) at a concentration of 3 parts per hundred rubber (phr). Electromechanical assessments demonstrated efficient energy conversion, while biomechanical analysis, including thumb pressing tests, showed a notable increase in output voltage, peaking at ≈285 mV (N, Lu‐CMS) at 3 phr. This research provides a foundation for future engineering applications, particularly in electronic packaging for wearable electronics and smart devices, underscoring the significant impact of N, Lu‐CMS in this emerging field. The surface power density achieved is 0.026 nW cm − 2 (N, Lu‐CMS) and 0.0056 nW cm − 2 (Hybrid). Lastly, the conversion efficiency is 6.26% for N, Lu‐CMS, and 1.05% for the hybrid system.