Pyroelectricity in poled all-organic polar polynorbornene/polydimethylsiloxane-based stretchable electrets

Pyroelectricity in a recently developed all-organic composite electret with a polar polynorbornene-based filler and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix has been studied with the help of thermal and dielectric techniques. Measurement of the pyroelectric p coefficient using a quasi-static periodic temperature variation at RT shows a non-linear dependence with the applied poling field, which is uncharacteristic of amorphous materials. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) and the thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) technique reveal that this behaviour can be attributed to Maxwell-Wagner interface (MWI) polarization that occurs at the filler-matrix interface. These charges released during the onset of dipolar alpha and beta relaxations of the filler particles contribute majorly to the observed pyroelectricity at RT. The saturation of both MWI TSDC shoulders and spontaneous polarization at higher electric fields correlates with the p coefficient value reaching a plateau at these applied fields. A maximum p coefficient of 0.54 mu C m-2 K-1 is calculated for a poling field of 30 V mu m-1.|A novel all-organic polar elastic composite consisting of a polar polynorbornene-based filler in a PDMS matrix shows room temperature non-linear pyroelectricity due to Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization and secondary pyroelectricity.