Ferroelectric and magnetic studies on unpoled Poly (vinylidine Fluoride)/Fe3O4 magnetoelectric nanocomposite structures

The fabrication of flexible Poly (vinylidine Fluoride)/Fe3O4 magnetoelectric nanocomposite films with different weight fractions of Fe3O4 nanoparticles is explained in this paper. The effects of nano Fe3O4 content on the structural, chemical, thermal, and magnetoelectric properties of PVDF matrix are discussed. XRD and FTIR results reveal the interaction between the filler and the matrix and also they suggest that the beta phase contribution can be significantly controlled by the inclusion of nano Fe3O4. Thermal stability and melting point behavior of the composite films are investigated through TG/DTA. The existence of ferrimagnetism and ferroelectric properties in the films are proved through the magnetization and polarization studies. The hysteresis loops show the largest polarization and magnetization values at 0.14 wt% of Fe3O4. Also, the dependence of ferroelectric polarization on temperature is investigated and reported. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.