Enhancement of ferroelectric polarization in magnetoelectric coupled manganese ferrite (MnFe 2 O 4 )/P(VDF-TrFE) nanocomposite polymer films at room temperature and solar energy (thermal) harvesting using pyroelectric effect of these films

Functional materials serve not only the specific device requirements but also find utility in diverse applications due to their unique properties. One such functional MnFe 2 O 4 /P(VDF-TrFE) nanocomposite was fabricated in free standing films form and it is found that these films exhibit multiferroic characteristics at room temperature. The nanocomposite films demonstrate a strong coupling between electric and magnetic dipoles, resulting in a magnetoelectric coupling voltage coefficient of 156.14 ± 3.12 mV/Oe-cm through a stress–strain transfer mechanism. Additionally, the incorporation of MnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles into the P(VDF-TrFE) matrix enhances the ferroelectric polarization of the nanocomposite films. Consequently, these films are utilized to explore solar energy (thermal) harvesting through their pyroelectric properties. Remarkably, these nanocomposite films achieve an output power of 2.66 ± 0.01 nW/cm 2 when converting solar energy to electric energy with a 10 GΩ load resistance. Therefore, the MnFe 2 O 4 /P(VDF-TrFE) nanocomposite films, acting as true smart materials, hold potential not only for ME coupling devices but also for solar energy (thermal) harvesting applications.