Development and Characterization of Flexible PVDF-TrFE-BaTiO3-Ti3C2 MXene-Based Composite Multi-Morphs: towards The Development of Electro-Active Biomedical-Wearable Devices

Lead-based perovskite oxides have been used as sensors, actuators, and transducers, for sound generation and detection, and also in optical instruments and microscopes. Electro-polymers such as PVDF, and PVDF-TrFE based structures have also been used in several applications towards the development of flexible electroactive multi-morph systems for biomedical applications. but the systems have lower piezoelectric strain coefficients as compared to those of their lead-based piezoceramics. Though lead-free-based ceramic and electroactive polymer composites have been explored their property-performance characteristics are not comparable to that of the electro-active ceramics. The following work looks into the fabrication of non-toxic PVDF-TrFE-BaTiO3-Ti3C2 MXene-based lead-free alternatives to perovskite oxides application in stacked biomedical wearable devices. Three-phase, PVDF-TrFE-BaTiO3-Ti3C2 electroactive nanocomposite thin films were fabricated. The volume fraction of the MXene phase was held constant at 1%, while the volume fraction of the BaTio3 phase varied from 20–70%. The dielectric constant, capacitance, impedance, and piezoelectric properties of the samples were measured using an impedance analyzer, and a piezotester. The results were compared as a function of the volume fraction of BaTiO3 to understand the electron transport performance of these thin films. The impedance and dielectric spectra of the nanocomposites were recorded over a frequency range of 20 Hz to 10 MHz. The microstructural properties and cross-section of the thin films were analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscope. The high sensitivity and electron transport properties of the composite could be potentially utilized in biomedical devices at low- and high-frequency ranges.