Production of Polar β-Glycine Nanofibers with Enhanced Nonlinear Optical and Piezoelectric Properties

Abstract

Electrospinning of an aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) and glycine solution has been used to produce nanofibers with an embedded crystalline glycine exclusively in the form of the β polymorph. The β-glycine nanocrystals are highly oriented within the polymer fibers and present good polar properties. Piezoelectric and nonlinear optical responses have been quantitatively examined showing piezoelectric coefficient deff = 12.5 pm/V and an effective nonlinear optical susceptibility two times greater than that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). Additionally, although bulk β-glycine is metastable at room temperature, when confined inside the polymeric nanofibers, it is shown to be remarkably stable.