Colloidal processing of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)—ferrimagnetic pseudocapacitive CuFe2O4 composite films

Composite polymer-ceramic films are prepared from colloidal suspensions by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Co-deposition of ferrimagnetic CuFe2O4 with ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) polymer is achieved using a co-dispersant, which is also used for the preparation of PVDF-HFP particles. The mechanism of co-dispersant adsorption on CuFe2O4 and PVDF-HFP in colloidal suspensions is analyzed. Electrochemical studies of CuFe2O4 reveal good pseudocapacitive properties of this material in a negative potential range, which make it a material of choice for magnetocapacitive devices. A capacitance of 1.72 F cm−2 (43.1 F g−1) is observed at 2 mV s−1 for pure material in a neutral Na2SO4 electrolyte. The microstructure and composition of PVDF-HFP-CuFe2O4 films are analyzed. Composite films show ferrimagnetic properties, which are analyzed in a wide temperature range. EPD method represents a versatile strategy for the fabrication of composite films based on functional properties of CuFe2O4 and PVDF-HFP.