Control of the Crystalline Polymorph, Molecular Dipole and Chain Orientations in P(VDF-HFP) for High Electrical Energy Storage Application

The electroactive β-phase is induced in poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) [P(VDF HFP)] copolymer films without the assistance of traditional stretching techniques. We doped silver nano particle in P(VDF-HFP) to induce the β-phase as well as to control the chain and dipole orientations. Grazing incidence reflection infrared spectroscopy results confirm the molecular dipole orientations and crystalline polymorph of ultra thin films. A dynamic contact electrical force microscopy measurement demonstrates the ferroelectric response of the P(VDF-HFP) films.