Work

Intrinsic ferroelectric elastomers with ultrahigh Curie temperature and fast polarization switching

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Ferroelectric materials are well-suited for advanced wearable electronics, where elasticity and user comfort are paramount. Nevertheless, current ferroelectric elastomers, primarily based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) copolymers, suffer from low Curie temperature, poor stability under extreme conditions, and sluggish polarization switching, limiting their applicability in high-temperature environments and compromising the sensitivity of devices. To overcome these challenges, we leverage PVDF homopolymers to develop a ferroelectric elastomer with higher Curie transition temperature. Through strategic thermal crosslinking with polyethylene glycol diamine and a melt-memory effect, we have developed intrinsically ferroelectric elastomers that combine thermal stability with fast polarization switching. The materials maintain stable ferroelectric performance across a wider temperature range up to 150 °C, the highest reported for ferroelectric elastomers. Additionally, they exhibit 85% elastic recovery under 30% strain. More strikingly, under 200% strain, they demonstrate a reduction in coercive field and a two-order-of-magnitude increase in domain switching speed-features essential for high-performance and low-energy-consumption electronics. The breakthrough in high-temperature stability, fast switching dynamics and efficient low-voltage operation paves the way for a class of robust, sensitive, and responsive ferroelectric elastomers, providing a transformative platform for the future of intelligent, high-performance wearable electronics.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64263-8