Fabrication of PVDF-transition metal dichalcogenides based flexible piezoelectric Nanogenerator for energy harvesting applications

In the present work, we have studied the enhancement of polar crystalline beta-phase of PVDF, which is responsible for its piezoelectric property, after the addition of transition metal dichaclcogenides (TMDs). MoS2 and MoSe2, which belong to the library of TMDs were synthesized by hydrothermal method and then we have synthesized the freestanding flexible composite thin films of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and TMDs. A systematic investigation of PVDF-TMDs nanocomposite films by using Xray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and polarization-electric field loop measurements supports the enhancement of beta-phase in the flexible nanocomposite polymer thin films. It has been observed that content of beta-phase was enhanced form 54% to similar to 80% by adding TMDs into the PVDF. The resulting remnant polarization of the PVDF-TMD composite films were found to be enhanced as compared to bare PVDF film. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.