Significantly improved dielectric properties and energy density of polymer nanocomposites via small loaded of BaTiO3 nanotubes

Flexible dielectric polymeric films are highly desirable materials with potential applications in power-conditioning equipment and pulsed-plasma thrusters due to their high dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and fast energy uptake and delivery. In this work, 1–3 type nanocomposites combining BaTiO3 nanotubes (BT NTs) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) were prepared by a solution cast method. The BT NTs were synthesized by facile coaxial electrospinning and were coated with a dense and robust dopamine layer, which effectively improved the filler-matrix distributional homogeneity and compatibility. The 10.8 vol% BT-DA NTs/PVDF nanocomposites possessed an excellent dielectric constant of 47.05, which is approximately 569% greater that of the pristine PVDF (8.26) and 150%–350% higher than that of the other PVDF nanocomposites loaded with similar ceramic filler contents, e.g., nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanofibers. The highest energy density of 7.03 J cm−3 at a relatively low field of 330 MV m-1 was obtained via small loaded of the fillers, which is approximately 625% greater than for biaxially oriented polypropylenes (BOPP) (1.2 J cm−3 at the field of 640 MV m−1). The approach employed in this study may be further applied to the fabrication of similar polymeric nanocomposites for next-generation electronic components.