New Publication: MXene-Enhanced Piezoelectric Polymer Films for Flexible Electronics

Our latest research, published in Polymers, demonstrates how extremely small amounts of two-dimensional MXene nanosheets can significantly improve the mechanical flexibility and piezoelectric performance of polymer films, opening new possibilities for flexible sensors, wearable electronics, and energy-harvesting devices.

In this study we investigated the incorporation of Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene nanosheets into poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) films prepared by solvent casting and thermal treatment. We demonstrated that interactions between MXene surfaces and polymer chains promote preferential molecular alignment and anisotropic crystallisation of the polymers’ electroactive β-phase, which is essential for efficient conversion of mechanical deformation into electrical signals.

Remarkably, an optimised MXene concentration of only 0.0015 wt% resulted in substantially improved mechanical deformability, increasing the elongation at break from approximately 60% for pristine polymer films to 192% for the nanocomposite. The films also exhibited enhanced dielectric properties (permittivity of 22) and a piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ reaching 24 pC/N after 50% tensile elongation, while maintaining structural integrity.

Publication: V. Kokol, B. Nečemer, E. Gibertini, and V. Bobnar, Polymers 2026, 18, 2488.

Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18202488