Enhancement of the electroactive β phase in electrospun PVDF fibers by incorporation of CaCO₃-based Cu hybrid particles prepared using plasma–liquid electrochemical synthesis

Abstract

In this study, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers containing filler materials composed of copper oxide and calcium carbonate with different contents were prepared to enhance the electroactive β phase content in the PVDF matrix. The fillers were synthesized using the plasma–liquid electrochemical synthesis method, where copper, a tungsten electrode, and seawater were used as the anode, cathode, and electrolyte, respectively. The atmospheric plasma was generated by applying a high voltage between the electrolyte surface and the tungsten electrode 1 mm above. The electrochemical reactions for particle synthesis were promoted by plasma irradiation, with the charged particles entering the electrolyte. The PVDF solution for the electrospun nanofiber was mixed with the synthesized particles that were a mixture of copper oxide with a dominant fraction of calcium carbonate, as determined using the X-ray diffraction patterns. The structural and the electrical properties of the as-prepared electrospun nanofibers were characterized using microscopy, spectroscopy, and electrical testing. Small loadings of the synthesized particles into in the PVDF matrix induced clear changes in terms of crystallization, morphology, and electrical properties of the prepared materials.