Effect of Polyaniline (Emeraldine Base) Addition on α to β Phase Transformation in Electrospun PVDF Fibers

Abstract

A facile and effective transformation of α to β phase in electrospinning of PVDF was demonstrated by adding emeraldine base polyaniline (PANI). Results from FTIR and X-ray studies revealed that a very large amount of the electraoctive β-phase can be obtained by controlling the amount of PANI loading and the electrospinning parameters, whereas the γ-phase normally showed a very tiny amount, much lower than the β-phase, for all samples with PANI loading. The above results indicate that the addition of PANI into the PVDF solution during electrospinning is a powerful way to enhance the electroactive β-phase of the fibers, which is significant for developing high-performance fiber-based piezoelectric devices.