Fabrication and magnetoelectric investigation of flexible PVDF-TrFE/cobalt ferrite nanocomposite films

Abstract

Flexible nanocomposite films, with cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CFN) as the ferromagnetic component and polyvinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) copolymer as the ferroelectric matrix, were fabricated using a blade coating technique. Nanocomposite films were prepared using a two-step process; the first process involves the synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles using a sonochemical method, and then incorporation of various weight percentages (0, 2.5, 5, and 10%) of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles into the PVDF-TrFE to form nanocomposites. The ferroelectric polar β phase of PVDF-TrFE was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermal studies of films showed notable improvement in the thermal properties of the nanocomposite films with the incorporation of nanoparticles. The ferroelectric properties of the pure polymer/composite films were studied, showing a significant improvement of maximum polarization upon 5wt% CFN loading in PVDF-TrFE composite films compared to the PVDF-TrFE film. The magnetic properties of as-synthesized CFN and the polymer nanocomposites were studied, showing a magnetic saturation of 53.7 emu/gat room temperature, while 10% cobalt ferrite-(PVDF-TrFE) nanocomposite shows 27.6 emu/g. We also describe a process for fabricating high optical quality pure PVDF-TrFE and pinhole-free nanocomposite films. Finally, the mechanical studies revealed that the mechanical strength of the films increases up to 5 wt.% loading of the nanoparticles in the copolymer matrix and then decreases. This signifies that the obtained films could be suited for flexible electronics.

Recent progress in piezoelectric thin films as self-powered devices: material and application

“…(G): Schematic of transparent ZnO thin films grown on glass substrates (Murthy et al, 2023). (H): Schematic illustration of PVDF/PZT NPs fiber films preparation (Sapkota et al, 2022). (I): Schematic preparation of Cu x O/PVDF films .…”

“…There are several ways to make PVDF films, such as electrostatic spinning, solution casting, solution casting, spin coating method, electro-spinning technique, stretching, vacuum evaporation, and homogenization, etc (Jin et al, 2021;Yen et al, 2022;Das et al, 2023;Ghosh et al, 2023;Mishra et al, 2023;Sarkar et al, 2024). The scratch spraying method was used to make polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoro ethylene (PVDF-TrFE) copolymers (Singh et al, 2018;Bhunia et al, 2019;Sapkota et al, 2022). In first step, cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles were made using acoustic chemistry.…”

Modelling the effect of particle arrangement on the magnetoelectric response of a polymer multiferroic film

“…Namely, in a number of works the magnetoelectric effect has been measured on polymer systems filled with anisometric magnetic particles, and the results are available. [44][45][46] These systems are believed to be exclusively magnetostrictive and the results are interpreted accordingly, see ref. 14 and 17, for example.…”