Confinement-Induced One-Dimensional Ferroelectric Polymer Arrays

This work demonstrates the use of wetting nanoporous alumina template with polymer solution to produce arrays of isolated poly(vinylidene Fluoride) (PVDF) ferroelectric gamma-type nanorods supported within a nonpolar alpha-structure film. The method is based upon a crystal phase transition which occurs due to PVDF confinement within alumina nanoporous. The system was studied using scanning X-ray microdiffraction (mu-XRD) that allows the solid solid phase transition from the alpha-nonpolar crystal form (bulk) to the gamma polar Ferroelectric form (nanorod array) to be spatially resolved, as well as providing crystallinity and orientation information. The results reveal that the interaction between polymer chains and the porous membrane's walls imposes a flat-on lamella growth along the nanorrods long axis, while improving crystal orientation.