Fluoropolymers are versatile functional materials whose chemical stability, polarity, and mechanical robustness enable applications ranging from energy harvesting to water purification. This talk highlights new strategies to enhance the performance of fluoropolymer systems by controlling interfacial interactions, polymer chemistry, and fabrication approaches.
Piezoelectric fluoropolymers such as poly(vinylidene fluoride–co–trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) convert mechanical energy into electricity and are promising materials for powering low-energy electronics. However, achieving piezoelectricity typically requires electrical poling, an energy-intensive process used to align dipoles. We demonstrate a new mechanism that removes this requirement. Combining molecular dynamics simulations, piezoresponse force microscopy, and electrodynamic measurements, we reveal a previously unobserved polarization locking phenomenon in PVDF-TrFE when interfaced with two-dimensional Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene nanosheets. Strong electrostatic interactions at the polymer–MXene interface induce stable polarization perpendicular to the basal plane, producing a piezoelectric charge coefficient (d₃₃) of −52 pC N⁻¹—significantly higher than that of conventionally poled PVDF-TrFE (~−38 pC N⁻¹).
A second focus addresses mechanical compaction in porous PVDF membranes used in pressure-driven water treatment. Dehydrofluorinated PVDF (dPVDF) containing alkene functionality was cross-linked with thiol-modified polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (thiol-POSS) via UV-initiated thiol–ene chemistry, increasing the Young’s modulus from 36.6 ± 1.9 MPa to 54.6 ± 2.0 MPa and significantly improving resistance to flux decline under compression.
Finally, a hybrid fabrication approach for dPVDF microfiltration membranes is introduced. dPVDF was produced via bulk modification of PVDF with ethylenediamine and formulated into inks containing poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (5–30 wt%). Membranes were fabricated by direct ink writing followed by non-solvent induced phase separation. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed alkene functionality, while the resulting membranes exhibited high porosity, caustic stability, and pure water fluxes of ~4300 L m⁻² h⁻¹—within the range of commercial PVDF membranes.
Together, these studies demonstrate how interfacial design, chemical modification, and advanced manufacturing can unlock new performance levels in fluoropolymer technologies for sustainable energy and water systems.