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Ferroelectric Polymers

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Poly(vinylidene Fluoride) or PVF sub 2 is an electrically active polymer whose piezoelectric properties result from reorientation of dipoles. We have shown that PVF sub 2 and a number of its copolymers undergo reversible Curie Transitions to a non-polar phase during heating, rendering these the first ferroelectric polymers. The molecular structures, conformations, crystallization and morphology of these polymers will be discussed. The mechanism of their Curie transition and its dependence on type and extent of molecular regiodefects will also be analyzed.