We are pleased to announce the publication of our new research article in Sensors and Actuators A: Physical:
“Towards optomechanical energy harvesters based on photo-mobile polymers operating under continuous sunlight radiation.”
The study explores an innovative strategy for converting light into electrical energy through a two-step optomechanical transduction process. First, a photo-mobile polymer (PMP) converts incident light into mechanical motion; this motion is then transferred to a piezoelectric element, which converts it into an electrical signal. A key aspect of this work is the exploitation of the self-oscillation of azobenzene-based photomobile polymers under continuous illumination, eliminating the need for pulsed light sources or complex external modulation systems.
From Light to Motion, and from Motion to Electricity
The research team investigated three different PMP/piezoelectric configurations — L-mode, pendulum mode, and oscillation mode — to understand how geometry, mechanical coupling, piezoelectric properties, and optical power affect energy conversion performance. The schematic configurations and experimental setups are illustrated in the figures on page 3 of the article. The final optimized prototype was operated using a Xenon arc lamp that closely reproduces the spectral characteristics of natural sunlight. Under continuous illumination, the photomobile polymer sustained oscillations in the range of approximately 5–8 Hz, transferring its mechanical motion to the piezoelectric transducer. The optimized oscillation-mode device generated a continuous 0.2 V peak-to-peak electrical signal at 1 MΩ, while maintaining stable oscillatory and electrical behavior during long-term illumination tests. Importantly, this represents an approximately 40-fold improvement in output voltage compared with the L-mode configuration under similar illumination conditions.
Toward New Solar Energy Harvesting Technologies
The results demonstrate the feasibility of integrating photo-responsive polymers and piezoelectric transducers into compact optomechanical systems capable of converting continuous light into electrical energy. This approach opens interesting perspectives for the development of self-powered devices, smart materials, autonomous sensors, and next-generation solar energy harvesting technologies, while also providing useful design rules for future optimization and potential industrial applications. The work was developed through a collaboration involving ENEA Centro Ricerche Portici, ISASI-CNR, and research partners from Grenoble, combining expertise in photomobile materials, optomechanics, piezoelectric energy harvesting, modeling, and device engineering.
Congratulations to Fulvia Villani, Gustavo Ardila, Fausta Loffredo, Anna De Girolamo Del Mauro, Bryan Guilcapi, Tommaso Fasolino, Maria Montanino, Giuliano Sico, Riccardo Miscioscia, Amalia D’Avino, Domenico Sagnelli, Thomas Jalabert, Manojit Pusty, Lucia Petti, and Giuseppe Nenna for this new achievement.
Published in: Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, Volume 410, 2026, Article 118262
DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2026.118262
SITE: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924424726008137
#EnergyHarvesting #SmartMaterials #PhotomobilePolymers #Piezoelectricity #Optomechanics #SolarEnergy #Photonics #MaterialsScience #ISASICNR #ENEA #ScientificResearch
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