| Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a homopolymer of the vinylidene monomer (CH2CF2). PVDF has a good chemical resistance and thermal stability and is hydrophobic. In addition, PVDF and its co-polymer PVDF-TrFE are also biocompatible and have been approved by FDA for biomedical applications. PVDF is also a ferroelectric material, and its incorporation into biomaterials can impart ferroelectric effect in these materials, similar to collagen fibrils in bone and connective tissues. In this study, we characterized both mechanical and ferroelectric properties of P(VDF-TrFE) including tensile test, FTIR and XRD. The application of ordinary hot-pressed PVDF and its co-polymer membrane is, however, greatly limited by its low mechanical performance. We show that membranes made of electrospun nanofibers show enhanced mechanical properties compared to the bulk PVDF. Altogether these results show a great promise for applications of these novel nanofibered PVDF for biomedical research. |
