The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

We present a solution-processed bottlebrush polymer, PNB-g-PVDF, that self-assembles into hierarchical core-shell nanospheres and delivers outstanding triboelectric performance. A thermally decomposable molecular splint, butadiene sulfone (BDS), drives the PVDF side chains to crystalize almost exclusively in the β phase, while TEM, SAED and depth‑profile XPS identify a fluorine‑rich, highly polar shell wrapped around a PNB‑rich core. The curved shell concentrates the local electric field, and the mixed core provides deep traps that suppress charge leakage, jointly creating an intrinsic charge‑trapping layer. When paired with nylon‑6,6, the film produces 188 V, 18.8 µA and 0.255 mW cm⁻², about triple the output of β‑phase linear PVDF, and directly powers 27 LEDs. These results establish bottlebrush polymers as a tunable platform for high‑efficiency, flexible TENGs suitable for wearable or implantable energy harvesting.