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

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 lightemitting diodes (LEDs), blink 50 LEDs and could be a potential candidate for energy-scavenging applications.

Mitigating the Negative Piezoelectricity in Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Materials for High-performance Piezoelectric Nanogenerators

“…21−25 A piezoelectric material converting a mechanical deformation into electrical energy is based on the piezoelectric effect of crystalline structure, which is associated with the noncentrosymmetric nature of crystals. 26 Nearly all materials exhibit no piezoelectric effect because of the irregular arrangement of the electric dipoles within materials. In order to obtain piezoelectricity, applying an electric field is critical to move the molecules freely and to align the electric dipoles in one orientation, commonly at a temperature near the Curie temperature.…”

“…A piezoelectric material converting a mechanical deformation into electrical energy is based on the piezoelectric effect of crystalline structure, which is associated with the noncentrosymmetric nature of crystals . Nearly all materials exhibit no piezoelectric effect because of the irregular arrangement of the electric dipoles within materials.…”

Synthesis of functionalized ZnO nanoflake loaded polyvinylidene fluoride composites with enhanced energy storage properties

“…PVDF possesses different crystal phases (α, β, γ, δ), in which α (non‐polar) and β (polar) are the most studied phases due to high stability. [ 4 ] The phenomena of all‐trans conformation of β phase create a macroscopic dipole moment. PVDF with a higher fraction of β phase possesses substantial ferroelectric properties and enhances the charge storage ability of the composite material.…”

“…[ 14 ] Thus, ZnO exhibits inherent ferroelectric, piezoelectric properties, and acts as a nucleating agent to enhance the β phase content in PVDF. [ 4 ] Two‐dimensional morphology ZnO with large aspect ratio in form of nanoplate or nanoflake improves the dielectric constant and breakdown strength at low loading compared to zero‐dimensional fillers. [ 5 ] Also, polymer composite shows enhanced thermal conductivity with the introduction of ZnO due to its high thermal conductivity of about 60 Wm −1 K −1 .…”

Mechanisms of ZnO Nanoparticles Enhancing Phototransformation of Biologically Derived Organic Phosphorus in Aquatic Environments

“…Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in numerous industrial and commercial applications. , The global production of ZnO NPs is 31,500–34,000 t per year, of which 4172–10,416 t is discharged into water bodies. , The concentration of ZnO NPs in the surface water is roughly estimated to range from 0.001 to 0.61 μg·L –1 , while that in sewage influents is approximately 24–300 μg·L –1 . Furthermore, ZnO NPs, a promising photocatalyst, are employed for photocatalytic degradation of organic chemicals due to their unique electrical, catalytic, and optoelectronic properties .…”