(65aq) Improving Dielectric Properties by Grafting P(VDF-CTFE) to TiO2

The development of dielectric materials that can exhibit large energy densities is critical for the creation of more efficient technologies. In order to fulfill this need, the ferroelectric copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-chlorotrifluoroethylene) is currently being investigated due to its large dielectric constant and high breakdown strength. Traditionally, in order to improve dielectric properties, polymers have been physically blended with nanoparticles that exhibit desirable dielectric behavior. However, physical blends are often laden with polymer and nanoparticle agglomerates, resulting in large dielectric loss. In this study, we have investigated the dielectric properties of a nanocomposite synthesized using a novel grafting technique that involves chemically bonding the random copolymer P(VDF-CTFE) (91/9 mol%) to the nanoparticle TiO₂. Grafting significantly increases nanocomposite dispersion, which results in a larger dielectric constant, smaller dielectric loss, and, ultimately, a larger energy density.