PVDF-HFP/PZT nanocomposite thin films: Preparation, structure and piezoelectric properties

Piezoelectric nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention from researchers during these last years for their wide use in the development of electromechanical microsystems (MEMS). In this paper, piezoelectric lead titanate zirconate (PZT) are used with poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafuoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) polymer matrix to prepare the piezo thin nanocomposite film. An improvement in the β phase in PVdF-HFP was created by the reaction between the PZT nanoparticles and PVdF-HFP. The process used for the preparation of the film results in the enhancement of the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PVdF-HFP. These polymer nanocomposite films were made by the solvent casting method under ultra-sonication using THF as a solvent, with different percentages of PZT. The results confirm that incorporating PZT nanoparticles in the PVDF-HFP matrix increases the β-phase fraction, enhancing the efficiency of energy harvesting.