High pyroelectric performances of graphene nanoplatelet reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride composite film

Abstract

As a semi‐crystalline polymer with pyroelectric properties, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has demonstrated great potential in developing smart and multifunctional materials. However, the low level of β phase in pure PVDF restricts its pyroelectric performance and applications. Selecting graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as the reinforcing filler, this current work pioneeringly investigates the pyroelectric performances of GNP/PVDF composite films subjected to different scenarios. It is found that the addition of GNP can significantly enhance the formation of the β phase in PVDF and the pyroelectric performances of the composite. When the GNP content is 10 wt%, the pyroelectric coefficient of the GNP/PVDF composite film reaches up to 260 μC/m2K, which is about 10 times that of pure PVDF. Parametric study demonstrates that decreasing the thickness of the composite film and increasing the temperature are beneficial to improve the pyroelectric performances. Moreover, the addition of GNPs cannot only enhance the pyroelectric performance, but also improves the thermal stability of the composite film. The work is envisaged to provide guidelines for the design and manufacturing PVDF‐based sensors with improved sensitivity.