Solvent-Dependent Triboelectric Output Performance of Poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene–chlorofluoroethylene) Terpolymer

Abstract

The poly (vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene–chlorofluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer has been identified as a promising candidate for the effective conversion of low-frequency mechanical vibrations into electricity. In this study, we provide a comprehensive and systematic investigation of the solvent-dependent mechanical, microstructural, electrical, frictional properties and triboelectric output performance of a relaxor ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer. The P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer films obtained from high dipole moment solvents have a longer rod-shaped grain than those from low dipole moment solvents. The crystallinity, Young’s modulus and dielectric constant of P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer become larger as the dipole moment of solvents increases, while the remnant polarization remains almost the same. The P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer film obtained from the highest dipole moment solvent generates almost 1.55 times larger triboelectric charge than that obtained from the lowest moment. We attributed this large difference to the greatly enhanced lateral friction of terpolymer film obtained from high dipole moment solvents.