Piezoelectric responses of P(VDF-TrFE) and P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) coaxial electrospun composite nanofibers

Soft piezoelectric composite nanofibers composed of poly (vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), denoted as P(VDF-TrFE), and poly (vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE), were prepared by the coaxial electrospinning technique. The relationship between crystal structures and the piezoelectric responses was investigated. The piezoelectric voltages of the composite nanofibers are about 3.0 V and 3.5 V at 10 Hz and 100 Hz, respectively. In-situ Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) was used to observe the effect of applied voltage on lattice strains in different lattice orientations. Crystallographic studies on the composite nanofibers revealed co-crystallization, which led to higher piezoelectric voltages in the composite nanofibers.