Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Coated with (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane as Additives for Boosting the Dielectric, Ferroelectric, and Piezoelectric Properties of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Films for Energy Harvesting
Akash M. Chandran, S. Varun, Subash Cherumannil Karumuthil, Soney Varghese, Prasanna Kumar S. Mural
Abstract
In this study, we report the synergistic role of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) functionalization of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and low-temperature phase-inversion for boosting the polar β-phase of the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanocomposite. The electroactive crystal phase was investigated with Fourier transform infrared, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy, and dynamic contact mode electrostatic force microscopy. Our results confirm an enhanced polar β-phase and crystallinity, which inherently boosted the overall dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the PVDF/ZnO-APTES nanocomposite. The energy-harvesting potential of the nanocomposite was investigated by fabricating a piezoelectric device. The fabricated device with a high electroactive phase (PDVF/ZnO-APTES) exhibited a voltage of 125 V and an instantaneous output power density of ∼83 mW/cm 3 . The fabricated device can glow 8 light-emitting diodes (LEDs), blink 50 LEDs and could be a potential candidate for energy-scavenging applications.