Experimental and Numerical Characterization of Electrospun Piezoelectric Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanocomposites Reinforced with Silver Nanoparticles

This study focuses on preparing piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposites reinforced with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an electrospinning process. The aim of this study is to assess AgNPs' influence on the piezoelectric properties of PVDF and, therefore, create an optimal piezoelectric composite with enhanced properties, enabling its application in various fields both as sensor and actuator. Because electrical stimuli have proven to have a positive influence in tissue engineering, combined with AgNPs, which have antimicrobial properties, these composites demonstrate a promising opportunity for application as biomedical scaffolds. The proposed scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, mechanical properties are studied through tensile tests, while piezoelectric response is measured on an in-house built setup coupling mechanical stimuli and electrical response monitoring. An experimental test was combined with numerical simulations through the COMSOL Multiphysics version 6.3 software package, and this paper also presents a short review of the numerical and analytical methods used for the modelling and simulation of piezoelectric composites.