Thin and surface adhesive ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) films with β phase-inducing amino modified porous silica nanofillers

We report an efficient route for ferroelectric polar β phase generation in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) through incorporation of amine functionalized, porous silica (MCM-41 and fumed silica) based nanofillers. These porous highly functionalized surfaces exhibit the efficient secondary interaction with polymer chain via hydrogen bonding. Structural analysis through FTIR, XRD, and TEM confirm high degree of ferroelectric polar β phase generation of PVDF through incorporation of amino modified porous silica nanofillers. Optimized loading (5 wt %) of amine functionalized, porous silica in PVDF matrix enhances relative intensity of β phase up to 75%. Disappearance of spherulite structure of PVDF with amino modified porous silica nanofillers, as confirmed through POM, TEM, SEM and AFM studies also supports the above conclusion. The P-E hysteresis loop at sweep voltage of ±50 V of a thin PVDF-amino modified porous nanofiller film shows excellent ferroelectric property with nearly saturated high remnant polarization 2.8 µC.cm−2 owing to its large proportion of β PVDF, whereas, a nonpolar pure PVDF thin film shows unsaturated hysteresis loop with 0.6 µC.cm−2 remnant polarization. PVDF films with the nanofillers exhibit strong adhesive strength over different metallic substrates making them have edge over PVDF in various thin film applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 2401–2411