A Dielectric Polymer/Metal Oxide Nanowire Composite for Self-Adaptive Charge Release

Electrostatic discharge is a fatal threat to a variety of electronic products. Here we report on a polymer nanocomposite composed of a dielectric polymer embedded with aligned core–shell structured nanowires for highly efficient distributed electrostatic discharge protection. The dielectric nanocomposite is capable of self-adaptive charge release, stemming from the nonlinear interface built in the Bi/Co oxide coated ZnO nanowires that leads to a "hand-in-hand" double-Schottky barrier. The ultralow filler concentration (e.g., 0.5 vol %) endows the nanocomposite with low permittivity (close to the pristine polymer matrix) and high optical transmittance (75%) in the visible light wavelength range, which is desirable in packaging materials and display coatings for portable electronics. The effectiveness for electrostatic discharge protection was validated with an organic light-emitting diode screen protected by the nanocomposite that survived multiple rounds of electrostatic discharge.