Particle size effect of BaTiO3 nanofillers on the energy storage performance of polymer nanocomposites

Progress of Polymer-Based Dielectric Composites Prepared Using Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing

Polymer-based dielectric composites are of great importance in advanced electronic industries and energy storage because of their high dielectric constant, good processability, low weight, and low dielectric loss. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is a greatly accessible additive manufacturing technology, which has a number of applications in the fabrication of RF components, but the unavoidable porosity in FDM 3D-printed materials, which affects the dielectric properties of the materials, and the difficulty of large-scale fabrication of composites by FDM limit its application scope. This study's main focus is on how the matrix, filler, interface, and FDM 3D printing parameters influence the electrical properties of FDM-printed polymer-based dielectric composites. This review article starts with the fundamental theory of dielectrics. It is followed by a summary of the factors influencing dielectric properties in recent research developments, as well as a projection for the future development of FDM-prepared polymer-based dielectric composites. Finally, improving the comprehensive performance of dielectric composites is an important direction for future development.

High-performance dielectric film capacitors based on cellulose/Al2O3 nanosheets/PVDF composites

The design and preparation of novel renewable biomass-based dielectric composites have drawn great attention recently. Here, cellulose was dissolved in NaOH/urea aqueous solution, and Al₂O₃ nanosheets (AONS) synthesized by hydrothermal method were used as fillers. Then the regenerated cellulose (RC)-AONS dielectric composite films were prepared by regeneration, washing and drying. The two-dimensional AONS had a better effect on improving the dielectric constant and breakdown strength of the composites, so that the RC-AONS composite film with 5 wt% AONS content reached an energy density of 6.2 J/cm³ at 420 MV/m. Furthermore, in order to improve the dielectric energy storage properties of cellulose films in high humidity environment, the hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was innovatively introduced to construct RC-AONS-PVDF composite films. The energy storage density of the prepared ternary composite films could reach 8.32 J/cm³ at 400 MV/m, which was 416 % improvement against that of the commercially biaxially oriented polypropylene (2 J/cm³), and could be cycled for >10,000 times under 200 MV/m. Concurrently, the water absorption of the composite film in humidity was effectively reduced. This work broadens the application prospect of biomass-based materials in the field of film dielectric capacitor.

Gold Sputtering at the Interfaces: An Easily Operated Strategy for Enhancing the Energy Storage Capability of Laminated Polymer Dielectrics

Polymers with excellent dielectric properties are strongly desired for pulsed power film capacitors. However, the adverse coupling between the dielectric constant and breakdown strength greatly limits the energy storage capability of polymers. In this work, we report an easily operated method to solve this problem via sputtering the interface of bilayer polymer films with ultralow content of gold nanoparticles. Interestingly, the gold nanoparticles can effectively block the movement of charge carriers because of the Coulomb blocking effect, yielding significantly enhanced breakdown strength. Meanwhile, the gold nanoparticles can act as electrodes to form numerous equivalent microcapacitors, resulting in an obviously enhanced dielectric constant. Impressively, the polymer film with merely 0.01 vol % gold nanoparticles exhibits an obvious dielectric constant and breakdown strength, which are 129 and 131% that of the pristine polymer film, respectively. Consequently, a high energy density which is 176% of that of the pristine polymer film is achieved, and a high efficiency of 79.2% is maintained. Moreover, this process can be well combined with the production process of commercial dielectric polymer films, which is beneficial for mass production. This work offers an easily operated way to improve the dielectric capacitive energy storage properties of polymers, which could also be applicable to other materials, such as ceramics and composites.

Improved Energy Density Obtained in Trilayered Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Based Composites by Introducing Two-Dimensional BN and TiO2 Nanosheets

Dielectric capacitors with an ultrahigh power density have received extensive attention due to their potential applications in advanced electronic devices. However, their inherent low energy density restricts their application for miniaturization and integration of advanced dielectric capacitors. Herein, a novel composite entirely incorporated with two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets with a topological trilayered construction is prepared by a solution casting and hot-pressing method. The 2D boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) with a wide band gap that are oriented in a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix to form the upper and bottom outer layers would efficiently suppress the leakage current in composites, thus significantly improving the overall breakdown strength. Meanwhile, the 2D anatase-type TiO₂ nanosheets (TONS) uniformly distributed in the middle layer can enhance their interfacial compatibility and polarization with the PVDF matrix, leading to a synergistic improvement in both the breakdown strength and dielectric constant of the composite. In particular, a significantly improved dielectric constant of ∼11.42, a reduced dielectric loss of 0.03 at 100 Hz, and a maximum discharge energy density (U_dis) of 10.17 J cm^-3 at an electric field of 370.1 MV m^-1 can be obtained from the trilayered composite containing 3 wt % 2D TONS in the middle layer and 2 wt % 2D BNNS on the outer layer. The finding of this research offers an effective strategy for the preparation of advanced polymer-based composites with an outstanding discharge energy density performance.

Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework Incorporated Highly Polar PVDF for Dielectric Energy Storage and Mechanical Energy Harvesting

Here, we introduce a 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) into the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix, which has been comparatively less explored in this field. Highly 2D Ni-MOF has been synthesized in this regard via hydrothermal route and has been incorporated into PVDF matrix via solvent casting technique with ultralow filler (0.5 wt%) loading. The polar phase percentage of 0.5 wt% Ni-MOF loaded PVDF film (NPVDF) has been found to be increased to ~85% from a value of ~55% for neat PVDF. The ultralow filler loading has inhibited the easy breakdown path along with increased dielectric permittivity and hence has enhanced the energy storage performance. On the other hand, significantly enriched polarity and Young's Modulus has helped in improving its mechanical energy harvesting performance, thereby enhancing the human motion interactive sensing activities. The piezoelectric and piezo-tribo hybrid devices made up of NPVDF film have shown improved output power density of ~3.26 and 31 μW/cm² compared to those of the piezoelectric and piezo-tribo hybrid devices comprising of neat PVDF (output power density ~0.6 and 17 μW/cm², respectively). The developed composite can thus be considered an excellent candidate for multifunctional applications.

Role of Microstructures in the Dielectric Properties of PVDF-Based Nanocomposites Containing High-Permittivity Fillers for Energy Storage

Polymer-based nanocomposites containing inorganic ferroelectric inclusions, typically ABO₃ perovskites, have emerged as innovative dielectric materials for energy storage and electric insulation, potentially coupling the high breakdown strength (BDS) and easy processing of polymers with the enhancement of dielectric constant provided by the ferroelectric phase. In this paper, experimental data and three-dimensional finite element method (3D FEM) simulations were combined to shed some light on the effect of microstructures on the dielectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-BaTiO₃ composites. The existence of particle aggregates or touching particles has a strong effect on the effective dielectric constant and determines an increase of the local field in the neck region of the ferroelectric phase with a detrimental effect on the BDS. The distribution of the field and the effective permittivity are very sensitive to the specific microstructure considered. The degradation of the BDS can be overcome by coating the ferroelectric particles with a thin shell of an insulating oxide with a low dielectric constant, such as SiO₂ (ε_r = 4). The local field is highly concentrated on the shell, while the field in the ferroelectric phase is reduced almost to zero and that on the matrix is close to the applied one. The electric field in the matrix becomes less homogeneous with increasing the dielectric constant of the shell material, as happens with TiO₂ (ε_r = 30). These results provide a solid background to explain the enhanced dielectric properties and the superior BDS of composites containing core-shell inclusions.

Influence of Ferroelectric Filler Size and Clustering on the Electrical Properties of (Ag-BaTiO3)-PVDF Sub-Percolative Hybrid Composites

The paper presents a study concerning the role of ferroelectric filler size and clustering in the dielectric properties of 20%BaTiO₃-80%PVDF and of 20% (2%Ag-98%BaTiO₃)-PVDF hybrid nanocomposites. By finite element calculations, it was shown that using fillers with ε > 10³ does not provide a permittivity rise in the composites and the effective dielectric constant tends to saturate to specific values determined by the filler size and agglomeration degree. Irrespective of the ferroelectric filler sizes, the addition of metallic ultrafine nanoparticles (Ag) results in permittivity intensification and the effect is even stronger if the metallic nanoparticles are connected to a higher degree with the ferroelectric particles' surfaces. When using coarse ferroelectric fillers, the probability of clustering is higher, thus favoring the permittivity increase by field concentration in small regions close to the interfaces separating dissimilar materials. The modeling results were validated by an experimental dielectric analysis performed in a series of PVDF-based thick films with the same amount of BaTiO₃ fillers or with Ag-BaTiO₃ hybrid fillers. Similar trends as predicted by simulations were found experimentally but with slightly higher permittivity values which were assigned to the modifications of the polymer phase composition due to the presence of nanofillers and the local sample inhomogeneity (the presence of clustering, in particular for coarse BaTiO₃ grains), which create regions with enhanced local fields.

Dielectric and Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed Nanocomposites with Varied Particle Diameter

3D printed nanocomposites provide a method for generating high-performance radio frequency devices. Limited work has been done to investigate the influence the nanoparticle diameter has on the performance of 3D printable nanocomposites. We describe here the development of a family of 3D printable nanocomposite inks formulated from nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 30 to 300 nm. Relative permittivity values for the printed nanocomposites were unaffected by nanoparticle diameter whereas loss tangent, glass transition temperature, and elastic modulus were altered. This work provides a framework for designing 3D printable nanocomposites and highlights the importance that nanoparticle diameter plays in formulation strategy.

Nano-Sized Calcium Copper Titanate for the Fabrication of High Dielectric Constant Functional Ceramic-Polymer Composites

A novel calcium copper titanate (CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂)–polyvinylidene fluoride composite (CCTO@PVDF) with Cu-deficiency was successfully prepared through the molten salt-assisted method. The morphology and structure of polymer composites uniformly incorporated with CCTO nanocrystals were characterized. At the same volume fraction, the CCTOs with Cu-deficiency displayed higher dielectric constants than those without post-treatment. A relatively high dielectric constant of 939 was obtained at 64% vol% CCTO@PVDF content, 78 times that of pure PVDF. The high dielectric constants of these composites were attributed to the homogeneous dispersion and interfacial polarization of the CCTO into the PVDF matrix. These composites also have prospective applications in high-frequency regions (10⁶ Hz). The enhancement of the dielectric constant was predicted in several theoretical models, among which the EMT and Yamada models agreed well with the experimental results, indicating the excellent distribution in the polymer matrix.

High-k Three-Phase Epoxy/K1.6(Ni0.8Ti7.2)O16/CNT Composites with Synergetic Effect

Polymer matrix composites based on ED-20 epoxy resin, hollandite K_1.6(Ni_0.8Ti_7.2)O₁₆ and carbon nanotubes with a variable content of 0.107; 0.213 and 0.425 vol.% were obtained for the first time. Initial components and composites produced were characterized by XRD, XRA, FTIR, SEM and Raman spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of composite materials were measured by impedance spectroscopy and determined by the volume ratio of the composite components, primarily by the concentration of CNTs. At a CNT content of 0.213 vol.% (before percolation threshold), the maximum synergistic effect of carbon and ceramic fillers on the dielectric properties of a composite based on the epoxy resin was found. Three-phase composites based on epoxy resin, with a maximum permittivity at a minimum dielectric loss tangent, are promising materials for elements of an electronic component base.

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous BaTiO3 framework-reinforced polymer composites with improved dielectric properties

Polymer composites with high dielectric constants are highly desired in advanced electronic devices and the modern electrical industry. The dielectric constant of three-dimensional filler-reinforced polymer composites is usually enhanced at the expense of flexibility. Herein, barium titanate inverse opals (BT_IOs) that have three-dimensionally ordered and interconnected macropores are prepared and introduced into a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix to tailor their dielectric properties. The composite films with 30 wt% BT_IOs exhibit a dielectric constant of 18.8 at 1 kHz, showing an enhancement of 154% and 35% compared with that of pristine PVDF and their corresponding composites reinforced with barium titanate nanoparticles, respectively. Meanwhile, the dielectric loss is suppressed at 0.088. The BT_IOs/PVDF composite films also maintain good flexibility and can be freely bent. This design of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous filler-reinforced polymer composites with improved dielectric constants and good flexibility presents promising applications of dielectric materials in flexible electronics.

Hydroxylated BiFeO3 as efficient fillers in poly(vinylidene fluoride) for flexible dielectric, ferroelectric, energy storage and mechanical energy harvesting application

Here we report the effect of surface hydroxylation of BiFeO3 fillers on the dielectric, ferroelectric, energy storage and mechanical energy harvesting performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride). Surface hydroxylation helped to improve the interfacial interaction between the filler and PVDF matrix by introducing a strong hydrogen bonding between the -OH group of the hydroxylated BiFeO3 filler surface and the -CF2 dipole of PVDF in place of electrostatic interfacial interaction between non-hydroxylated BiFeO3 and the -CH2 dipole of PVDF. The amount of polar phase increased to around 91% for a 7 wt% hydroxylated BiFeO3 loaded PVDF film (7BFOH) by this new type of interfacial interaction. The dielectric, ferroelectric, energy storage and mechanical energy harvesting performance of the PVDF based composite films also improved by the above said technique. Upon repeated human finger tapping, the 7BFOH film delivered ∼18 V output peak to peak open circuit ac voltage (VOC). After rectification, the VOC of the 7BFOH film was able to charge a 10 μF capacitor up to ∼3 V which was able to light up some LEDs (connected in parallel) together instantaneously, which proved the real life applicability of the composite films in low power consuming self-powered electronic devices.

Structural Insight in the Interfacial Effect in Ferroelectric Polymer Nanocomposites

Both experimental results and theoretical models suggest the decisive role of the filler-matrix interfaces on the dielectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and electrocaloric properties of ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites. However, there remains a lack of direct structural evidence to support the so-called interfacial effect in dielectric nanocomposites. Here, a chemical mapping of the interfacial coupling between the nanofiller and the polymer matrix in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites by combining atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) with first-principles calculations and phase-field simulations is provided. The addition of ceramic fillers into a ferroelectric polymer leads to augmentation of the local conformational disorder in the vicinity of the interface, resulting in the local stabilization of the all-trans conformation (i.e., the polar β phase). The formation of highly polar and inhomogeneous interfacial regions, which is further enhanced with a decrease of the filler size, has been identified experimentally and verified by phase-field simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This work offers unprecedented structural insights into the configurational disorder-induced interfacial effect and will enable rational design and molecular engineering of the filler-matrix interfaces of electroactive polymer nanocomposites to boost their collective properties.

Nano-ZnO decorated ZnSnO3 as efficient fillers in PVDF matrixes: toward simultaneous enhancement of energy storage density and efficiency and improved energy harvesting activity

Here, we report the effect of ZnO decoration on ZnSnO3 fillers on the dielectric property, energy storage behaviour and mechanical energy harvesting performance of PVDF matrixes. More enhanced dielectric constant and reduction in dielectric loss were achieved in PVDF-ZnO@ZnSnO3 (PVDF-ZNZS) films than in PVDF-ZnSnO3 (PVDF-ZS) films for the same concentration of filler loading. Similarly, PVDF-ZNZS films showed simultaneous enhancement in electrical energy storage density and storage efficiency compared to PVDF-ZS composites. As all the constituent materials (PVDF, ZnSnO3 and ZnO) were piezoelectric, the resulting composite film showed improved piezoelectric energy harvesting performance too. After rectification, the output ac voltage was used to charge a 10 μF capacitor up to ∼5 V dc which was further used to light up some LEDs. Furthermore, in order to exhibit improved sensitive output, a hybrid piezo-tribo nanogenerator was fabricated which was demonstrated as a motion sensor, a weight sensor and a human body movement sensor as part of a real life application.

Optimizing electric field distribution via tuning cross-linked point size for improving the dielectric properties of polymer nanocomposites

Polymer nanocomposites containing high K ceramics have been developed for boosting the energy density of dielectric capacitors. However, there are numerous challenges in the research about how to optimize the electric field distribution and improve the interfacial structure of nanocomposites for overcoming dielectric mismatches between high K nanofillers and low K polymers. Herein, all-chemical bonding cross-linked nanocomposites were designed and nano-BT with different sizes were regarded as cross-linked points rather than a free dispersed phase in polymers. In addition, the cross-linking degree could be controlled by changing the nano-BT sizes. 60 nm BT-BCB@DPAES nanocomposites possess the most excellent mechanical and thermal properties as well as the highest theoretical breakdown strength. In fact, 100 nm BT-BCB@DPAES nanocomposites have the most perfect dielectric performance combined with the experimental data and finite element simulation, particularly at 150 °C, the highest breakdown strength of 442 MV m^-1 and greatest discharged energy density of 3.1 J cm^-3 were obtained. This is attributed to the proper cross-linking degree and uniform electric field distribution. Overall, this kind of cross-linked structure can effectively enhance dielectric performance, particularly at elevated temperatures. This provides an idea for developing high temperature polymer nanocomposites for dielectric energy storage applications.

A salt-resistant Janus evaporator assembled from ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires and nickel oxide for efficient and recyclable solar desalination

Solar energy-driven interfacial water evaporation is a promising energy utilization technology in the field of seawater desalination and water purification. However, the accumulation of salt on the heating surface severely impairs the water evaporation performance and long-time stability. Herein, we demonstrate a new kind of photothermal paper comprising a high-temperature-resistant paper made from ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires and glass fibers and black nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles for solar energy-driven desalination. Owing to the high photothermal conversion ability, fast water transportation in the air-laid paper, and good heat insulation, the hydrophilic HN/NiO photothermal paper can achieve efficient, stable and recyclable water evaporation performance. In addition, a Janus HN/NiO photothermal paper based on hydrophobic sodium oleate-modified ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires has been developed, and it has a high water evaporation efficiency of 83.5% under 1 kW m^-2 irradiation. In particular, with the bottom hydrophobic ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowire layer and water-transporting channels in the air-laid paper to facilitate salt exchange, the as-prepared Janus evaporator exhibits no salt accumulation on the surface, high performance and long-time stable desalination using simulated seawater (3.5 wt% NaCl). Furthermore, the Janus evaporator with the hydrophobic ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowire substrate can be extended to support other photothermal materials such as black titanium oxide (Ti₂O₃) and Ketjen black carbon. The as-prepared Janus HN/Ti₂O₃ and Janus HN/KB photothermal paper also exhibit salt-resistant desalination function. The as-prepared Janus salt-resistant photothermal paper with efficient, stable and recyclable merits has great potential in solar energy-driven desalination and water purification.

Dielectric Properties of Two-Dimensional Bi2Se3 Hexagonal Nanoplates Modified PVDF Nanocomposites

Topological insulator two-dimensional (2D) Bi2Se3 hexagonal nanoplates, which are highly insulating in the bulk and have a conductive topological surface state, have been prepared via an “EG- (ethylene glycol-) sol” method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Bi2Se3/PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) nanocomposites with various Bi2Se3 contents have been fabricated by a tape-casting method. The microstructure and dielectric performance of the Bi2Se3/PVDF nanocomposites are studied. The dielectric constant of the dense nanocomposite films keeps a relatively low value of about 16 when the Bi2Se3 content is lower than 12 vol.% then suddenly increases to 36 with a critical Bi2Se3 content of 13 vol.% due to the percolation effect of the large aspect ratio of the 2D Bi2Se3 nanoplates. The study of the Bi2Se3/PVDF nanocomposite system is conducive to the exploration of high-performance dielectrics.

Effects of the Particle Size of BaTiO₃ Fillers on Fabrication and Dielectric Properties of BaTiO₃/Polymer/Al Films for Capacitor Energy-Storage Application

BaTiO₃/polymer/Al (BPA) composite films for energy storage were fabricated by way of a roll coating and thermal curing process. The coating slurry consisted of silicon-containing heat-resistant resin (CYN-01) and BaTiO₃ particles with various particle sizes obtained from commercial BaTiO₃ powders processed at different durations of wet sand grinding in the presence of silane coupling agent (KH550), which not only improves the dielectric performance of the BPA films but also facilitates its production in a large scale. The major influence factors, such as the ratio between BaTiO₃ and resin and the size of BaTiO₃ particles, were investigated and their related mechanisms were discussed. The results show that modifying BaTiO₃ particles (D₉₀ = 0.83 μm) with the silane coupling agent of KH550 enhances the dielectric properties of the BPA films. The typical BPA films obtained exhibit a high dielectric constant of 32, a high break strength of 20.8 V/μm and a low dielectric loss of 0.014. The present work provides a simple and convenient way to prepare high-quality ceramic/polymer composite films for energy-storage application in a large scale.

Understanding the influence of defects and surface chemistry on ferroelectric switching: a ReaxFF investigation of BaTiO3

Ferroelectric materials such as barium titanate (BaTiO3) have a wide range of applications in nano scale electronic devices due to their outstanding properties. In this study, we developed an easily extendable atomistic ReaxFF reactive force field for BaTiO3 that can capture both its field- and temperature-induced ferroelectric hysteresis and corresponding changes due to surface chemistry and bulk defects. Using our force field, we were able to reproduce and explain a number of experimental observations: (1) the existence of a critical thickness of 4.8 nm below which ferroelectricity vanishes in BaTiO3; (2) migration and clustering of oxygen vacancies (OVs) in BaTiO3 and a reduction in the polarization and the Curie temperature due to the OVs; (3) domain wall interaction with the surface chemistry to influence the ferroelectric switching and polarization magnitude. This new computational tool opens up a wide range of possibilities for making predictions for realistic ferroelectric interfaces in energy-conversion, electronic and neuromorphic systems.

Role of suppressed oxygen vacancies in the BiFeO3 nanofiller to improve the polar phase and multifunctional performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride)

In the present work, we report the enhanced dielectric, ferroelectric, energy storage and energy harvesting performance of a citrate-gel synthesized Bi_1−xBa_xFeO₃ (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10) incorporating poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix.

Interface Modulation of Core-Shell Structured BaTiO₃@polyaniline for Novel Dielectric Materials from Its Nanocomposite with Polyarylene Ether Nitrile

The core-shell structured polyaniline-functionalized-BaTiO₃ (BT@PANI) nanoparticles with controllable shell layer thicknesses are developed via in-situ aniline polymerization technology and characterized in detail. The results prove that the PANI shell layer with the adjustable and controllable thicknesses of 3⁻10 nm are completely stabilized on the surface of the BaTiO₃ core. In addition, the BT@PANI nanoparticles are regarded as the hybrid nanofillers to prepare PEN/BT@PANI nanocomposite films with a PEN matrix. The research results indicate that the surface functionalized nanoparticles facilitate the compatibility and dispersibility of them in the PEN matrix, which improves the properties of the PEN/BT@PANI nanocomposites. Specifically, the PEN/BT@PANI nanocomposites exhibit thermal stability, excellent permittivity-frequency, and dielectric properties-temperature stability. Most importantly, the energy density of nanocomposites is maintained at over 70% at 180 °C compared with that at 25 °C. All these results reveal that a new way to prepare the high-performance PEN-based nanocomposites is established to fabricate an energy storage component in a high temperature environment.

Largely enhanced energy storage capability of a polymer nanocomposite utilizing a core-satellite strategy

The development of new generation dielectric materials toward capacitive energy storage has been driven by the rise of high-power applications such as electric vehicles, aircraft, and pulsed power systems. Here we demonstrate remarkable improvements in the energy density and charge-discharge efficiency of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) upon the incorporation of core-satellite structures, namely NaNbO3(NN)@polydopamine (PDA)@Ag nanowires. As compared to the NN NWs/PVDF and NN@PDA NWs/PVDF nanocomposites, the NN@PDA@Ag NWs/PVDF nanocomposites exhibit greatly enhanced energy density and significantly suppressed energy loss. As a result, the NN@PDA@Ag NWs/PVDF nanocomposite films with optimized filler content exhibit an excellent discharge energy density of 16.04 J cm-3 at 485 MV m-1, and maintain a high discharge efficiency of 62.8%. Moreover, the corresponding nanocomposite films exhibit a superior power density of 2.1 MW cm-3 and ultra-fast discharge speed of 153 ns. Ultimately, the excellent dielectric and capacitive properties of the polymer nanocomposites could pave the way for widespread applications in modern electronics and power modules.

Outstanding Photoluminescence in Pr3+-Doped Perovskite Ceramics

Ba (Zr_0.2Ti_0.8) O₃-50% (Ba_0.7Ca_0.3) TiO₃ (BZT-0.5BCT) ceramics with different doping contents of Pr³⁺ were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction. The phase structure and crystallinity of the fabricated ceramics were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra were measured to analyze the PL characteristics. The strong intensities of a green band at 489 nm and a red band at 610 nm were observed. The maximum emission intensity of the PL spectrum was achieved in the BZT-0.5BCT ceramic with 0.2% mol of Pr³⁺ ions. Furthermore, the PL spectra of BZT-0.5BCT ceramics were found to be sensitive to polarization of the ferroelectric ceramics. Compared with the unpoled ceramics, the green emission increased about 42% and a new emission peak at 430 nm appeared for the poled ceramics. With excellent intrinsic ferroelectricity and an enhanced PL property, such material has potential to realize multifunctionality in a wide application range.