Eu3+-Doped Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Hexafluoropropylene/Graphene Oxide Multilayer Composite Nanofiber for the Fabrication of Flexible Pressure Sensors.

The development of flexible materials with higher piezoelectric properties and electrostrictive response is of great significance in many applications such as wearable functional devices, flexible sensors, and actuators. In this study, we report an efficient fabrication strategy to construct a highly sensitive (0.72 kPa-1), red light-emitting flexible pressure sensor using electrospun Eu3+-doped polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene/graphene oxide composite nanofibers using a layer-by-layer technology. The high ß-phase concentration (96.3%) was achieved from the Eu3+-doped P(VDF-HFP)/GO nanofibers, leading to a high piezoelectricity of the composite nanofibers. We observed that a pressure sensor is enabled to generate an output voltage of 4.5 V. Furthermore, Eu3+-doped P(VDF-HFP)/GO composite nanofiber-based pressure sensors can also be used as an actuator as it has a good electrostrictive effect. At the same time, the nanofiber membrane has excellent ferroelectric properties and good fluorescence properties. These results indicate that this material has great application potential in the fields of photoluminescent fabrics, flexible sensors, soft actuators, and energy storage devices.

Opportunity Finding by Nascent Entrepreneurs: Accidental or Purposeful?

PURPOSE: This research studies an important, but relatively unexplored entrepreneurial aspect: motivation and aspiration on opportunity finding/discovery. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This study surveyed 230 nascent entrepreneurs on their opportunity finding behavior. A poisson regression and a logistic analysis were conducted to discover the relationship between motivation/aspiration and opportunity search behavior. FINDINGS: Motivation and aspiration interact to influence active search in a positive way. However, only willingness to become an entrepreneur is found to search for opportunities purposefully. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Participants of the research are from a Midwest state in United States. Future research may collect sample from more and larger areas. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Bankers may use entrepreneurial opportunity search behavior as one criterion determining if to fund a person or not. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This article answers the call to study motivation/aspiration on opportunity finding (Yitshaki and Kropp, 2018; Murnieks et al., 2020). It is one of the first studies to explore the above relationship.