Electrical investigation and enhancement of optical, structural, and dielectric properties of flexible PVDF/LiZnVO4 nanocomposites

Abstract

Thin polymeric films of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) containing variable mass fractions of nanoparticles (LiZnVO<inf>4</inf>) were successfully synthesized via the ordinary solution casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy were used to explore the role of LiZnVO<inf>4</inf> on the structural and optical characteristics of synthesized nanocomposites. In addition, dielectric permittivity (ε' and ε") and dielectric modulus (M' and M") were investigated. The XRD spectral data reveals the crystalline nature of pure LiZnVO<inf>4</inf> with rhombohedral structure with an average size of 83 nm calculated using the Scherrer’s equation and W-L plot. The interaction between PVDF and LiZnVO<inf>4</inf> was approved through the shift in characteristics in some IR bands. The decrease in band gap energies with increasing LiZnVO<inf>4</inf> was attributed to the change of density in the localized states within the PVDF matrix. The effect of both frequency and temperature on the AC parameters was also investigated. Both ε' and ε" had their maximum values at low frequencies and decreased as the frequency and temperature increased. The results from XRD and FT-IR were correlated with changes in the dielectric characteristics at the maximum level value of LiZnVO4, suggesting the potential of these materials as basic components for lithium-ion batteries.