TY  - JOUR
A1  - McCarthy, Denis N.
A1  - Stoyanov, Hristiyan
A1  - Rychkov, Dmitry
A1  - Ragusch, Huelya
A1  - Melzer, Michael
A1  - Kofod, Guggi
T1  - Increased permittivity nanocomposite dielectrics by controlled interfacial interactions
T2  - Composites science and technology
N2  - The use of nanoparticles in polymer composite dielectrics has promised great improvements, but useful results have been elusive. Here, the importance of the interfacial interactions between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix are investigated in TiO2 nanocomposites for dielectric materials using surface functionalisation. The interface is observed to dominate the nanocomposite properties and leads to a threefold increase in permittivity at volume fractions as low as 10%. Surface functionalisation of the filler nanoparticles with silanes allows control of this interface, avoiding significant degradation of the other important material properties, particularly electrical breakdown strength, and resulting in a material that is demonstrated successfully as an active material in a dielectric elastomer actuator application with increased work output compared to the pure polymer. Although further permittivity increases are observed when the interface regions have formed a percolation network, the other material properties deteriorate. The observation of percolation behaviour allows the interface thickness to be estimated.
KW  - Ceramics
KW  - Nanocomposites
KW  - Actuator
KW  - Interface
KW  - Electrical properties
Y1  - 2012
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/36022
SN  - 0266-3538
VL  - 72
IS  - 6
SP  - 731
EP  - 736
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Oxford
ER  -