Abstract:
The development of smart materials that can react to external stimuli and provide controlled and frequently reversible responses is facilitated by the coupling of physical effects. In this work, a photo-pyroelectric effect based on a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) polymer composite with fullerene C60 incorporated at different concentrations (1, 3, 5, 10 and 20% wt.) has been developed with the aim of obtaining a multi responsive material: together with the piezoelectric and pyroelectric characteristics of the polymer, the inclusion of the fillers allow a photo-pyroelectric response, suitable for optoelectronic applications. The addition of fullerene – C60 leads to a mechanical plasticizing effect in the polymer matrix, revealed by the decrease of the Young’s Modulus from 335 MPa to 157 MPa and an increase in the dielectric constant from approximately 10 to 20 at 100 Hz, for P(VDF-TrFE) samples with 20% wt. of fullerene – C60. A pyroelectric coefficient of 20 μC/m2·K was achieved with a 10% wt. fullerene – C60 loading, while maintaining a piezoelectric response of 15 pC/N. Further, under laser irradiation and due to the photo-pyroelectric response, the composite with 10% wt. fullerene – C60 content reaches a generated voltage of 400 mV across a temperature variation of 1.4 °C, proving the multifunctionality of the materials and their applicability in applications including infrared detectors, thermometers, or energy harvesting, among others.
Title: Photo-pyroelectric Effect in Piezoelectric Polymer Composites: An Innovative Pathway for Advanced Technologies
Authors: I.R. Silva, N. Pereira, C.R. Tubio, D.M. Correia, C.M. Costa, S. Lanceros-Méndez
Reference: Materials Today Nano, 34, 100796, 2026
