Fluorination, ferroelectric devices

Extensive research has already been carried out on incorporation of fluorine into molecules which can lead to profound and unexpected results on biological activities and/or physical properties [ 1 - 5]. In particular, optically active fluorine-containing molecules have been recognized as a relatively important class of materials because of their interesting characteristics and potential applicability to optical devices such as ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystals [6-11]. Recent investigations in this field have opened up the possibility for the... 

Investigations in the 1970s were extended to include copolymers of vinylidene fluoride (VDF) with related fluorinated vinyl monomers vinyl fluoride (VF), trifluoroethylene (TrFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TeFE) [7, 8]. The latter two copolymers were found to crystallize into polar form without the stretching stage required by PVDF. This facilitates processing, and thus offers a wider range of potential device structures. Research in the 1980s has therefore focused on the ferroelectric behaviour and piezoelectric activity of vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymers. 

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