Remarkably enhanced dielectric properties in PVDF composites via engineering core@shell structured ZnO@PS nanoparticles

In order to concurrently suppress the dielectric loss and enhance the breakdown strength ( E b ) of raw zinc oxide (ZnO)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites, in this study, the polystyrene (PS) encapsulated ZnO particles were fabricated via a suspension polymerization method, and further composited with PVDF to deliberately generate morphology-controllable high dielectric permittivity ( ε′ ) and E b but low-loss nanocomposites. The effects of the PS shell and its thickness on the dielectric properties of the ZnO/PVDF were investigated as a function of the filler concentration and frequency. Besides, the Havriliak-Negami (H-N) expression was used to fit the dielectric properties so as to theoretically comprehend the PS interlayer’s effect on the polarization and carrier migration mechanism in the nanocomposites. Research results verify that the ZnO@PS/PVDF nanocomposites present very low loss and conductivity when compared to the raw ZnO/PVDF thanks to the insulating PS shell’s ability to effectively prevent the ZnO particles from contacting with one another, thereby prohibiting the appearance of leakage current. And the filler’s homogeneous dispersion in PVDF is also enhanced owing to improved interfacial compatibility and interactions subsequently elevating the E b of nanocomposites. Moreover, by adjusting the PS shell’ thickness, the dielectric properties of the nanocomposites can be efficiently tuned. Therefore, the developed ZnO@PS/PVDF nanocomposites with high-ε′ and E b but low loss, present promising application prospects in microelectronic and electrical industries.