Structural and electrical properties of PVDF-TrFE/ZnO bilayer and filled PVDF-TrFE /ZnO single layer nanocomposite films

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of ZnO nanofillers loading ratios on Polyvinylideneflouride-Triflouroethylene/Zinc Oxide (PVDF-TrFE/ZnO) nanocomposites thin films; filled single layer and bilayer film. Both films were produced using a spin coater with ZnO nanofillers of weight percentages 1, 3, 5 and 7%. These films were characterized for their crystal phase change via ATR-FTIR and electrical properties using I-V measurement. The ATR-FTIR for both single layer and bilayer nanocomposites films showed three distinguished peaks at absorption bands of 1400, 1290 and 848 cm−1, evident of the β-phase PVDF-TrFE crystals. The resistivity value recorded for the bilayer PVDF-TrFE/ZnO nanocomposites thin films were significantly higher in comparison to the filled single layer PVDF-TrFE/ZnO nanocomposites film. At 1 wt%, the resistivity value for PVDF-TrFE/ZnO bilayer thin film was 4.34 × 105 Ω cm, relative to 1.50 × 105 Ω cm resistivity value, for the single layer film. Therefore, it is established in this study that PVDF-TrFE/ZnO bilayer film showed enhanced resistivity property at small loading percentage of ZnO nanofillers, suggests that the bilayer film is suitable to be utilized as a dielectric film for storage devices.