C 2017, 3(4), 30; doi:10.3390/c3040030
Physico-Mechanical, Dielectric, and Piezoelectric Properties of PVDF Electrospun Mats Containing Silver Nanoparticles
Ahmed A. Issa 1, Mariam A. Al-Maadeed 1,2, Adriaan S. Luyt 1
, Deepalekshmi Ponnamma 2 and Mohammad K. Hassan 2,*
, Deepalekshmi Ponnamma 2 and Mohammad K. Hassan 2,*
1
Material Sciences and Technology Program, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
2
Center of Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 21 August 2017 / Revised: 26 September 2017 / Accepted: 27 September 2017 / Published: 16 October 2017
Abstract
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) is a piezoelectric material with outstanding physical and mechanical properties. The piezoelectric properties depend on the β-phase content of this polymer, while the physical and mechanical properties depend on the morphology and degree of crystallinity of the material. Silver has antibacterial effects, and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have large surface areas rich in electrons. In this paper, we produced electrospun PVDF fibrous mats that contained different contents of Ag-NPs between 0% and 1.0%. The β-content in PVDF was found to increase by about 8% for Ag-NPs content of 0.4–0.6%. The electrospun fiber mats had a higher β-crystalline content, nano-pores were visible on the fiber surfaces, and the tensile strength and thermal stability were improved. Dielectric analysis indicated weak interfacial adhesion between the PVDF and Ag-NPs. Good piezoelectric response was observed in the electrospun fibers containing 0.4% AgNPs, which shows a good correlation between the β-crystalline phase content of the composites and its energy-harvesting application. View Full-TextKeywords:
poly(vinylidene fluoride); electrospinning; silver nanoparticles; crystallinity; chain motion dynamics; piezoelectric properties
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Issa, A.A.; Al-Maadeed, M.A.; Luyt, A.S.; Ponnamma, D.; Hassan, M.K. Physico-Mechanical, Dielectric, and Piezoelectric Properties of PVDF Electrospun Mats Containing Silver Nanoparticles. C 2017, 3, 30.
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