Nickel‐Decorated Silver Nanowires for Polymer‐Based Magnetoelectric Composite

Abstract

Polymer-based magnetoelectric composites are processed with an intrinsic piezoelectric poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) matrix and high-aspect-ratio magnetic nickel-decorated silver nanowires. These core/ shell wires are obtained by the polyol reduction of Ni 2þ ions on high-aspect-ratio silver nanowires. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses show a homogeneous and well-crystallized nickel layer. Magnetic properties of the intrinsic particles and their composites are measured and show a strong enhancement of the coercive field compared to spherical Ni nanopowders. They also show the existence of strong magnetic anisotropy in the composites. The composites processed with a small amount of metallic particles (0.3 vol%) allow the maintaining of the P(VDF-TrFE) crystalline phase and the ability of a macroscopic polarization. The latter is conducted under a 80 MV m À1 field, leading to a significant d 33 (3.2 pC N À1 ). Thus, the magnetoelectric properties are analyzed and an important coupling coefficient α ME equal to 1.8 V m À1 Oe À1 is measured.

Significant magnetoelectric coupling in P(VDF-TrFE)/48%NiFe bilayer laminate composite for energy harvesting applications

“…Ni has been utilized as a magnetostrictive substrate for thin-film ME laminates with inorganic ceramics Ni/BCT-BZT [16] and Ni/PZT [17]. The majority of research on polymer ME devices comprising Ni falls under particulate nanocomposites (0-3 connectivity) and nanowire composites (1-3 connectivity) whose ME coupling is quite weak [18][19][20][21]. There are no ME studies on P(VDF-TrFE)/Ni bilayer; as a result, this research will compare two new bilayer configurations.…”