Ferroelectric properties of functionalized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles embedded on bacterial cellulose films

Abstract

This study fabricated bacterial cellulose (BC) films derived from Nata de coco waste to enhance their ferroelectric properties. Doping BC with Ag and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) resulted in conductive and semi-conductive BC films. The aggregation of AgNPs and ZnONPs on the BC films significantly improved remnant polarization (P_r) and dielectric constant (ε′) values, which ranged from 0.014 to 0.1 and 4.29 to 8.23, respectively. The polar hydrogen bonding within the non-centrosymmetric structure of BC created a net dipole moment, promoting piezoelectric behavior. When AgNPs were introduced using a 1 mM silver nitrate solution, the P_r and ε′ values increased to 0.028 and 6.59, respectively. Doping with ZnONPs via a 40 mM zinc nitrate solution further raised the P_r and ε′ values to 0.10 and 8.23, respectively, indicating an enhanced dipole moment within the BC films. Electrical poling aligned the dipoles in each film under a maximum electric field of 360 kV/cm, a critical factor for ferroelectric properties. These BC-based ferroelectric films demonstrate promising potential for future applications.