Enhanced strain gradient in structural wood for high flexoelectricity
), comparable to dielectric ceramics, and several times greater than semiconductors and polymers. The observed high flexoelectricity arises from the molecular-level charge asymmetry in cellulose's monoclinic crystalline structure, amplified by the anisotropic and hierarchical architecture of wood. Furthermore, we illustrate the practical potential by developing a flexible wood-based sensor capable of detecting subtle changes in human motion. This work provides a route to exploiting flexible wood for electromechanical applications.
Authors
- Weihao Gao
- Shuhai Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2459-3616)
- Qi Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0546-5360)
- Jie Ji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1633-4510)
- Ying Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2716-2723)
- Jizeng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8383-5868)
- Chen Cao
- Jingxiang Zhang
- Qiangqiang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6082-6782)
Institutions
- Beijing Institute of Technology (CN)
- Lanzhou University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-04-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72374-z
- Primary Topic
- Nonlocal and gradient elasticity in micro/nano structures
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars