BiFeO₃–BaTiO₃/P(VDF-TrFE) Multifunctional Polymer Nanocomposites

Multifunctional materials which generate response under different stimuli are important for sensor and actuator applications. In this work, to achieve multifunctional materials, the composites of P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric polymer and BiFeO3–BaTiO3 nanofibers are designed in an attempt to exploit the ferroelectric properties of the polymer and the ferromagnetism and the optical response of the nanofibers. The addition of nanofibers not only improves the dielectric, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties of the polymer but also creates multiple functionalities, which include ferromagnetism, magnetoelectric effect, photothermal effect, photostriction, and photo-electric response. The functionalities are either from the properties of the nanofibers or the coupling effect of the physical properties between the fibers and the polymer. As a result, one single material can detect mechanical, magnetic, and optical signals and generate actuation by electrical and optical stimuli. The composite materials are promising for sensor and actuator applications to improve compactness and efficiency of the devices because of their multifunctionality. Because of high flexibility and mechanical reliability, the nanocomposites are also expected to be applied in flexible or wearable electronic devices.