The design and preparation of high-performance ABS-based dielectric composites via introducing core-shell polar polymers@BaTiO3 nanoparticles

•A straightforward and efficient “grafting to” method is used to optimize the interface region.•The interfacial modifier poly[bis(4-cyanophenyl) 2-vinylterephthalate] improves the compatibility and dispersion of BaTiO3 nanoparticles in ABS matrix.•At 534 MV/m, discharge energy density of 4.5 J/cm3 and energy efficiency of 76% were achieved. In consideration of inherent high hysteretic losses resulting in low energy efficiency for ferroelectric polymer, linear dielectric acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with low price and good film property is adopted as optimal polymer matrix. Synchronously, representative ferroelectric barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles with high dielectric constant are selected as the nanofiller. To weaken the surface energy of BT nanoparticles and boost the interfacial interaction, polar polymer (poly[bis(4-cyanophenyl) 2-vinylterephthalate] (PBCN)) is employed as organic coatings to regulate interfacial property. Consequently, core–shell structured PBCN@BT nanoparticles were synthesized by means of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization combined with thiol-ene click reaction and the corresponding ABS-based nanocomposites were prepared. In consequence, discharge energy density increased from 3.2 J/cm3 for the pure ABS film to 4.5 J/cm3 for the 0.5 vol%-PBCN@BT/ABS nanocomposites. Meantime, a high energy efficiency of 76% was found. This discovery is of great significance for the development of excellent performance ABS-based dielectric composites.