Nonlocal love wave propagation in piezoelectric-poroelastic layered media with spring-membrane interfaces and diverse surface exposures

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the propagation of Nonlocal Love wave in a two-layered piezoelectric-poroelastic configuration consisting of a finite piezoelectric-poroelastic guiding layer over a dissimilar piezoelectric-poroelastic half-space, considering three imperfect interface models, namely, the spring interface model, the membrane interface model and the spring-membrane interface model, as well as three surface exposures, namely, air, a thin ZnO mass-loading layer and an impedance boundary. The influence of non-locality, electrical conditions and interfacial mechanics on dispersion, electromechanical coupling and mass-loading sensitivity in porous fluid-solid piezoelectric systems is analyzed. Design/methodology/approach Governing equations are formulated by incorporating non-local elasticity, piezoelectric coupling and poroelastic interactions. Separation technique is employed to derive the secular equations for Nonlocal Love waves for electrically open and electrically short cases. These are solved numerically, and parametric studies explore the effects of solid and fluid non-locality, interface compliance, membrane width, surface exposure and electromechanical coupling on dispersion and sensitivity. Findings Results demonstrate that solid and fluid phase non-locality significantly influence the Nonlocal Love wave velocity, dispersion and confinement, effectively softening the medium and altering mass-loading sensitivity. Changes in interface model, electrical condition and surface exposure further tune wave characteristics and electro-mechanical coupling, enabling controlled tailoring of propagation and sensing response in layered piezoelectric-poroelastic structures. Originality/value This study offers a novel framework by integrating non-local elasticity, poroelasticity and imperfect interface modeling into Nonlocal Love wave propagation in piezoelectric-poroelastic layers, offering new insights into dispersion, confinement and mass-loading sensitivity and supporting the design of advanced micro and nanoscale devices for structural health monitoring, biomedical detection and chemical sensing.