Recent developments in the synthesis of chemically modified nanomaterials for use in dielectric and electronics applications

Myco-generated and analysis of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles using Aspergillus elegans extract: A comparative evaluation with a traditional chemical approach

In the past few years, nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most interesting and cutting-edge research areas across all disciplines. Nanotechnology allows progress in all science fields to make novel materials and industry-different devices. Generally, nanoparticle synthesis methods are chemical, physical, and biological. The chemical and physical techniques use potentially harmful compounds, and the expense of these processes renders them unsuitable for nanoparticle synthesis. In light of this, it needs development strategies that are sustainable, economical, and eco-friendly viable. Through, biosynthesis, nanoparticles can overcome these disadvantages. One of the biological strategies is the myco-synthesis method, which connects the fields of mycology and nanotechnology. In this study, magnetite (Fe3O4) NPs have been synthesized using a myco-synthesis method by selecting Aspergillus elegans as a fungal species. Two extracts were used, growth medium and an aqueous extract. A comparative analysis between nanoparticles synthesized through myco-synthesis and those produced using conventional chemical methods has been conducted to substantiate the significance of the biological approach. The results of this study unequivocally establish that myco-synthesized nanoparticles exhibit superior and enhanced characteristics compared to those synthesized through chemical means, as ascertained through a comprehensive array of characterization techniques employed throughout the investigation. This contrast is observable in terms of the aggregation state, the existence of capping and stabilizing agents enveloping the nanoparticles, their magnetic and thermal attributes, and the enduring stability of these nanoparticles. These results highlight the significant promise of employing phytochemicals extracted from Aspergillus elegans as a highly suitable option for the biofabrication of Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

Comparative Study of Polymer-Grafted BaTiO3 Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Normal ATRP as Well as ATRP and ARGET-ATRP with Sacrificial Initiator with a Focus on Controlling the Polymer Graft Density and Molecular Weight

Structurally well-defined polymer-grafted nanoparticle hybrids are highly sought after for a variety of applications, such as antifouling, mechanical reinforcement, separations, and sensing. Herein, we report the synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) grafted- and poly(styrene) grafted-BaTiO₃ nanoparticles using activator regeneration via electron transfer (ARGET ATRP) with a sacrificial initiator, atom transfer radical polymerization (normal ATRP), and ATRP with sacrificial initiator, to understand the role of the polymerization procedure in influencing the structure of nanoparticle hybrids. Irrespective of the polymerization procedure adopted for the synthesis of nanoparticle hybrids, we noticed PS grafted on the nanoparticles showed moderation in molecular weight and graft density (ranging from 30,400 to 83,900 g/mol and 0.122 to 0.067 chain/nm²) compared to PMMA-grafted nanoparticles (ranging from 44,620 to 230,000 g/mol and 0.071 to 0.015 chain/nm²). Reducing the polymerization time during ATRP has a significant impact on the molecular weight of polymer brushes grafted on the nanoparticles. PMMA-grafted nanoparticles synthesized using ATRP had lower graft density and considerably higher molecular weight compared to PS-grafted nanoparticles. However, the addition of a sacrificial initiator during ATRP resulted in moderation of the molecular weight and graft density of PMMA-grafted nanoparticles. The use of a sacrificial initiator along with ARGET offered the best control in achieving lower molecular weight and narrow dispersity for both PS (37,870 g/mol and PDI of 1.259) and PMMA (44,620 g/mol and PDI of 1.263) nanoparticle hybrid systems.

Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles with Variable Grafting Densities for High Energy Density Polymeric Nanocomposite Dielectric Capacitors

Designing high energy density dielectric capacitors for advanced energy storage systems needs nanocomposite-based dielectric materials, which can utilize the properties of both inorganic and polymeric materials. Polymer-grafted nanoparticle (PGNP)-based nanocomposites alleviate the problems of poor nanocomposite properties by providing synergistic control over nanoparticle and polymer properties. Here, we synthesize "core-shell" barium titanate-poly(methyl methacrylate) (BaTiO₃-PMMA) grafted PGNPs using surface-initiated atom transfer polymerization (SI-ATRP) with variable grafting densities of (0.303 to 0.929) chains/nm² and high molecular masses (97700 g/mL to 130000 g/mol) and observe that low grafted density and high molecular mass based PGNP show high permittivity, high dielectric strength, and hence higher energy densities (≈ 5.2 J/cm³) as compared to the higher grafted density PGNPs, presumably due to their "star-polymer"-like conformations with higher chain-end densities that are known to enhance breakdown. Nonetheless, these energy densities are an order of magnitude higher than their nanocomposite blend counterparts. We expect that these PGNPs can be readily used as commercial dielectric capacitors, and these findings can serve as guiding principles for developing tunable high energy density energy storage devices using PGNP systems.

A Comprehensive Review on Barium Titanate Nanoparticles as a Persuasive Piezoelectric Material for Biomedical Applications: Prospects and Challenges

Stimulation of cells with electrical cues is an imperative approach to interact with biological systems and has been exploited in clinical practices over a wide range of pathological ailments. This bioelectric interface has been extensively explored with the help of piezoelectric materials, leading to remarkable advancement in the past two decades. Among other members of this fraternity, colloidal perovskite barium titanate (BaTiO₃ ) has gained substantial interest due to its noteworthy properties which includes high dielectric constant and excellent ferroelectric properties along with acceptable biocompatibility. Significant progression is witnessed for BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (BaTiO₃ NPs) as potent candidates for biomedical applications and in wearable bioelectronics, making them a promising personal healthcare platform. The current review highlights the nanostructured piezoelectric bio interface of BaTiO₃ NPs in applications comprising drug delivery, tissue engineering, bioimaging, bioelectronics, and wearable devices. Particular attention has been dedicated toward the fabrication routes of BaTiO₃ NPs along with different approaches for its surface modifications. This review offers a comprehensive discussion on the utility of BaTiO₃ NPs as active devices rather than passive structural unit behaving as carriers for biomolecules. The employment of BaTiO₃ NPs presents new scenarios and opportunity in the vast field of nanomedicines for biomedical applications.

Scalable Fabrication of MXene-PVDF Nanocomposite Triboelectric Fibers via Thermal Drawing

In the data-driven world, textile is a valuable resource for improving the quality of life through continuous monitoring of daily activities and physiological signals of humans. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) are an attractive option for self-powered sensor development by coupling energy harvesting and sensing ability. In this study, to the best of the knowledge, scalable fabrication of Ti₃ C₂ T_x MXene-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposite fiber using a thermal drawing process is presented for the first time. The output open circuit voltage and short circuit current show 53% and 58% improvement, respectively, compared to pristine PVDF fiber. The synergistic interaction between the surface termination groups of MXene and polar PVDF polymer enhances the performance of the fiber. The flexibility of the fiber enables the weaving of fabric TENG devices for large-area applications. The fabric TENG (3 × 2 cm² ) demonstrates a power density of 40.8 mW m^-2 at the matching load of 8 MΩ by maintaining a stable performance over 12 000 cycles. Moreover, the fabric TENG has shown the capability of energy harvesting by operating a digital clock and a calculator. A distributed self-powered sensor for human activities and walking pattern monitoring are demonstrated with the fabric.

Achieving High Thermal Conductivity and Satisfactory Insulating Properties of Elastomer Composites by Self-Assembling BN@GO Hybrids

With increasing heat accumulation in advanced modern electronic devices, dielectric materials with high thermal conductivity (λ) and excellent electrical insulation have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Inspired by mussel, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and graphene oxide (GO) are assembled to construct mhBN@GO hybrids with the assistance of poly(catechol-polyamine). Then, mhBN@GO hybrids are dispersed in carboxy nitrile rubber (XNBR) latex via emulsion coprecipitation to form elastomer composites with a high λ and satisfactory insulating properties. Thanks to the uniform dispersion of mhBN@GO hybrids, the continuous heat conduction pathways exert a significant effect on enhancing the λ and decreasing the interface thermal resistance of XNBR composites. In particular, the λ value of 30 vol% mhBN@GO/XNBR composite reaches 0.4348 W/(m·K), which is 2.7 times that of the neat XNBR (0.1623 W/(m·K)). Meanwhile, the insulating hBN platelets hinder the electron transfer between adjacent GO sheets, leading to satisfactory electrical insulation in XNBR composites, whose AC conductivity is as low as 10^-10 S/cm below 100 Hz. This strategy opens up new prospects in the assembly of ceramic and carbonaceous fillers to prepare dielectric elastomer composites with high λ and satisfactory electrical insulation, making them promising for modern electrical systems.

Rice husk waste into various template-engineered mesoporous silica materials for different applications: A comprehensive review on recent developments

Following the discovery of Stöber silica, the realm of morphology-controlled mesoporous silica nanomaterials like MCM-41, SBA-15, and KCC-1 has been expanded. Due to their high BET surface area, tunable pores, easiness of functionalization, and excellent thermal and chemical stability, these materials take part a vital role in the advancement of techniques and technologies for tackling the world's largest challenges in the area of water and the environment, energy storage, and biotechnology. Synthesizing these materials with excellent physicochemical properties from cost-efficient biomass wastes is a foremost model of sustainability. Particularly, SiO₂ with a purity >98% can be obtained from rice husk (RH), one of the most abundant biomass wastes, and can be template engineered into various forms of mesoporous silica materials in an economic and eco-friendly way. Hence, this review initially gives insight into why to valorize RH into value-added silica materials. Then the thermal, chemical, hydrothermal, and biological methods of high-quality silica extraction from RH and the principles of synthesis of mesoporous and fibrous mesoporous silica materials like SBA-15, MCM-41, MSNs, and KCC-1 are comprehensively discussed. The potential applications of rice husk-derived mesoporous silica materials in catalysis, drug delivery, energy, adsorption, and environmental remediation are explored. Finally, the conclusion and the future outlook are briefly highlighted.

Enhanced Dielectric Strength and Capacitive Energy Density of Cyclic Polystyrene Films

The maximum capacitive energy stored in polymeric dielectric capacitors, which are ubiquitous in high-power-density devices, is dictated by the dielectric breakdown strength of the dielectric polymer. The fundamental mechanisms of the dielectric breakdown, however, remain unclear. Based on a simple free-volume model of the polymer fluid state, we hypothesized that the free ends of linear polymer chains might act as “defect” sites, at which the dielectric breakdown can initiate. Thus, the dielectric breakdown strength of cyclic polymers should exhibit enhanced stability in comparison to that of their linear counterparts having the same composition and similar molar mass. This hypothesis is supported by the ∼50% enhancement in the dielectric breakdown strength and ∼80% enhancement in capacitive energy density of cyclic polystyrene melt films in comparison to corresponding linear polystyrene control films. Furthermore, we observed that cyclic polymers exhibit a denser packing density than the linear chain melts, an effect that is consistent with and could account for the observed property changes. Our work demonstrates that polymer topology can significantly influence the capacitive properties of polymer films, and correspondingly, we can expect polymer topology to influence the gas permeability, shear modulus, and other properties of thin films dependent on film density.

Facile Entropy-Driven Segregation of Imprinted Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticle Brush Blends by Solvent Vapor Annealing Soft Lithography

Polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) have attracted extensive research interest due to their potential for enhancing mechanical and electrical properties of both bulk polymer composite materials, as well as thin polymer films incorporating these nanoparticles (NPs). In previous studies, we have shown that an entropic driving force serves to organize low-molecular-mass PGNPs in imprinted blend films of PGNPs with low-molecular-mass homopolymers. In this work, we developed a novel solvent vapor annealing soft lithography (SVA-SL) method to overcome the technical difficulties in processing the high-molecular-mass PGNP blends due to the intrinsically sluggish melt annealing kinetics found in the phase separation of these blend PGNP materials. In particular, we utilized SVA-SL to create nanopatterns in blends of PGNPs having relatively high-molecular-mass-grafted layers but with cores of NPs having greatly different sizes. The minimization of the entropic free energy in the present system corresponded to larger PGNPs partitioning almost exclusively into the "mesa" regions of the imprinted PGNP blend films, as quantified by the estimation of the partition coefficient, K_p. The use of the SVA-SL processing method is important because it allows facile imprint patterning of PGNP materials and large-scale organization of the PGNPs even when the grafted chain lengths are long enough for the chains to be highly entangled, allowing enhanced thermo-mechanical property enhancements of the resulting films and a corresponding extended range of potential nanotech applications.

Barium Titanate Functionalization with Organosilanes: Effect on Particle Compatibility and Permittivity in Nanocomposites

Barium titanate (BT) recently gained new interest in the preparation of dielectric and piezoelectric lead-free materials for applications in sensors, electronics, energy harvesting and storage fields. Barium titanate nanocomposites can achieve attractive performance, provided that the compatibility between ceramic particles and polymeric matrices is enhanced to the benefit of the physical properties of the final composite. Tuning the particle-matrix interface through particle functionalization represents a viable solution. In this work, surface functionalization of BT nanoparticles (NPs), obtained by hydrothermal synthesis, with 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 2-[(acetoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl]triethoxysilane and triethoxysilylpropoxy(polyethyleneoxy)dodecanoate, was performed after optimizing the hydroxylation process of the NPs to improve their surface reactivity and increase the yield of grafting. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and thermogravimetric analysis were used to quantify the molecules grafted onto the ceramic nanoparticles. Both bare and functionalized particles were employed in the realization of epoxy- and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based nanocomposites. Functionalization was proven to be beneficial for particle dispersibility and effective for particle alignment in the PDMS matrix. Moreover, the dielectric constant measurements revealed the potential of PDMS-based nanocomposites for applications in the field of dielectric elastomers.

Synergistic Enhanced Thermal Conductivity and Crack Resistance of Reactor Epoxy Insulation with Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Epoxy composites with high thermal conductivity, excellent dielectric, and mechanical properties are very promising for solving epoxy cracking faults in reactors and for extending their service life. In this work, we report on epoxy composites enhanced by ternary fillers of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles. The obtained BNNSs/MWCNTs/SiO₂/epoxy composites exhibit a high thermal conductivity of 0.9327 W m^-1 K^-1, which is more than 4-fold higher than that of pure epoxy. In addition, the resultant composites present an improved mechanical strength (from 2.7% of epoxy to 3.47% of composites), low dielectric constant (4.6), and low dielectric loss (0.02). It is believed that the integration of multifunctional properties into epoxy composites provides guidance for optimizing the design of high-performance materials.

Advanced Functionalized CeO2/Al2O3 Nanocomposite Sensor for Determination of Opioid Medication Tramadol Hydrochloride in Pharmaceutical Formulations

BACKGROUND

The exceptional characteristics of cerium oxide (CeO₂) and aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) nanoscales have inspired significant attention to those nanocomposites as possible electroactive resources for applications of sensing and biosensing.

METHODS

In this research, an innovative new factionalized CeO₂/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite membrane sensor was presented to assess tramadol hydrochloride (TRD) in marketable products.

RESULTS

Tramadol-phosphomolybdate (TRD-PM) was formed by mixing tramadol hydrochloride and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) in the attendance of polymeric matrix and o-nitrophenyloctyl ether solvent mediator. With 1.0 × 10^-10-1.0 × 10^-2 mol L^-1 as a range of linearity and E_mV = (57.567 ± 0.2) log [TRD] + 676.29 as a regression equation, the functionalized sensor using TRD-PM-CeO₂/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite showed great selectivity and sensitivity for the discriminating and measurement of TRD. Using the regression equation E_mV = (52.143 ± 0.4) log [TRD] + 431.45, the unmodified coated wire sensor of TRD-PM, on the other hand, showed a Nernstian response between 1.0 × 10^-6 and 1.0 × 10^-2 mol L^-1, Using the methodology's specified guidelines, the proposed improved potentiometric system was validated against several criteria.

CONCLUSION

The suggested method is suitable for the determination of TRD in its products.

Perspectives on new opportunities for nano-enabled strategies for gene delivery to plants using nanoporous materials

Engineered nanocarriers have great potential to deliver different genetic cargos to plant cells and increase the efficiency of plant genetic engineering. Genetic engineering has improved the quality and quantity of crops by introducing desired DNA sequences into the plant genome. Traditional transformation strategies face constraints such as low transformation efficiency, damage to plant tissues, and genotype dependency. Smart nanovehicle-based delivery is a newly emerged method for direct DNA delivery to plant genomes. The basis of this new approach of plant genetic transformation, nanomaterial-mediated gene delivery, is the appropriate protection of transferred DNA from the nucleases present in the cell cytoplasm through the nanocarriers. The conjugation of desired nucleic acids with engineered nanocarriers can solve the problem of genetic manipulation in some valuable recalcitrant plant genotypes. Combining nano-enabled genetic transformation with the new and powerful technique of targeted genome editing, CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), can create new protocols for efficient improvement of desired plants. Silica-based nanoporous materials, especially mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), are currently regarded as exciting nanoscale platforms for genetic engineering as they possess several useful properties including ordered and porous structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and surface chemistry. These specific features have made MSNs promising candidates for the design of smart, controlled, and targeted delivery systems in agricultural sciences. In the present review, we discuss the usability, challenges, and opportunities for possible application of nano-enabled biomolecule transformation as part of innovative approaches for target delivery of genes of interest into plants.

Synergistic Enhanced Thermal Conductivity and Dielectric Constant of Epoxy Composites with Mesoporous Silica Coated Carbon Nanotube and Boron Nitride Nanosheet

Dielectric materials with high thermal conductivity and outstanding dielectric properties are highly desirable for advanced electronics. However, simultaneous integration of those superior properties for a material remains a daunting challenge. Here, a multifunctional epoxy composite is fulfilled by incorporation of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) and mesoporous silica coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs@mSiO₂). Owing to the effective establishment of continuous thermal conductive network, the obtained BNNSs/MWCNTs@mSiO₂/epoxy composite exhibits a high thermal conductivity of 0.68 W m^-1 K^-1, which is 187% higher than that of epoxy matrix. In addition, the introducing of mesoporous silica dielectric layer can screen charge movement to shut off leakage current between MWCNTs, which imparts BNNSs/MWCNTs@mSiO₂/epoxy composite with high dielectric constant (8.10) and low dielectric loss (<0.01) simultaneously. It is believed that the BNNSs/MWCNTs@mSiO₂/epoxy composites with admirable features have potential applications in modern electronics.

Nanoscale mechanical and electrical characterization of the interphase in polyimide/silicon nitride nanocomposites

Polymer nanocomposites (pNC) have attracted wide interests in electrical insulation applications. Compared to neat matrices or microcomposites, pNC provide significant improvements in combined electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. In the understanding of the reasons behind these improvements, a major role was attributed to the interphase, the interaction zone between the nanoparticles (NP) and the matrix. Because of their nanoscale dimensions, the interphase properties are mostly theoretically described but rarely experimentally characterized. The aim of this study is to propose a nanoscale measurement protocol in order to probe mechanical (Young modulus) and electrical (dielectric permittivity) interphase features using, respectively, the peak force quantitative nanomechanical (PF-QNM) and the electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) modes of the atomic force microscopy. Measurements are performed on polyimide/silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) nanocomposite and the effect of a silane coupling agent treatment of Si₃N₄NP is considered. In order to accurately probe mechanical properties in PF-QNM mode, the impacting parameters such as the applied force, the deformation and the topography are taken into account. The interphase region has shown a higher elastic modulus compared to the matrix and a higher width (W_I) value for treated NP. From EFM measurements combined to a finite element model feeded with theW_Ivalues obtained from PF-QNM, the interphase permittivity is determined. The corresponding values are lower than the matrix one and similar for untreated and treated NP. This is in total agreement with its higher elastic modulus and implies that the interphase is a region around the NP where the polymer chains present a better organization and thus, a restricted mobility.

Control of Phase Morphology of Binary Polymer Grafted Nanoparticle Blend Films via Direct Immersion Annealing

While the phase separation of binary mixtures of chemically different polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) is observed to superficially resemble conventional polymer blends, the presence of a "soft" polymer-grafted layer on the inorganic core of these nanoparticles qualitatively alters the phase separation kinetics of these "nanoblends" from the typical pattern of behavior seen in polymer blends and other simple fluids. We investigate this system using a direct immersion annealing method (DIA) that allows for a facile tuning of the PGNPs phase boundary, phase separation kinetics, and the ultimate scale of phase separation after a sufficient "aging" time. In particular, by switching the DIA solvent composition from a selective one (which increases the interaction parameter according to Timmerman's rule) to an overall good solvent for both PGNP components, we can achieve rapid switchability between phase-separated and homogeneous states. Despite a relatively low and non-classical power-law coarsening exponent, the overall phase separation process is completed on a time scale on the order of a few minutes. Moreover, the roughness of the PGNP blend film saturates at a scale that is proportional to the in-plane phase separation pattern scale, as observed in previous blend and block copolymer film studies. The relatively low magnitude of the coarsening exponent n is attributed to a suppression of hydrodynamic interactions between the PGNPs. The DIA method provides a significant opportunity to control the phase separation morphology of PGNP blends by solution processing, and this method is expected to be quite useful in creating advanced materials.

Temperature Influence on PI/Si3N4 Nanocomposite Dielectric Properties: A Multiscale Approach

The interphase area appears to have a great impact on nanocomposite (NC) dielectric properties. However, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, mainly because the interphase properties remain unknown. This is even more true if the temperature increases. In this study, a multiscale characterization of polyimide/silicon nitride (PI/Si₃N₄) NC dielectric properties is performed at various temperatures. Using a nanomechanical characterization approach, the interphase width was estimated to be 30 ± 2 nm and 42 ± 3 nm for untreated and silane-treated nanoparticles, respectively. At room temperature, the interphase dielectric permittivity is lower than that of the matrix. It increases with the temperature, and at 150 °C, the interphase and matrix permittivities reach the same value. At the macroscale, an improvement of the dielectric breakdown is observed at high temperature (by a factor of 2 at 300 °C) for NC compared to neat PI. The comparison between nano- and macro-scale measurements leads to the understanding of a strong correlation between interphase properties and NC ones. Indeed, the NC macroscopic dielectric permittivity is well reproduced from nanoscale permittivity results using mixing laws. Finally, a strong correlation between the interphase dielectric permittivity and NC breakdown strength is observed.

Enhancing Dielectric Strength of Epoxy Polymers by Constructing Interface Charge Traps

Epoxy polymer-based dielectric materials play a crucial role in advanced electronic devices and power equipment. However, high voltage-stress applications impose stringent requirements, such as a high dielectric strength, on epoxy polymers. Previously reported studies have shown promising material architectures in the form of epoxy polymer-nanoparticle dielectrics, which can restrict the movement of high-energy electrons by the interface charge traps associated with the various interfacial regions. However, these high-energy electrons inevitably traverse the epoxy polymer matrix and destroy the molecular structure, thereby creating a weak link for dielectric breakdown. In this study, a general strategy is developed to improve the dielectric strength by constructing interface charge traps in the molecular structure of the epoxy polymer matrix, using the -CF₃ group in partial replacement of the -CH₃ group. The proposed strategy increases the dielectric strength (39.5 kV mm^-1) and surface breakdown voltage (26.9 kV) of the epoxy polymer matrix by 22.08% and 13.3%, respectively, because the interface charge trap hinders the movement of high-energy electrons. At the same time, the strategy does not degrade the mechanical and thermal properties. The results hold potential for wide application in the manufacturing of advanced future electrical and electronic equipment requiring resilience to high-voltage stress.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Polymer-Grafted Low-K and High-K Nanoparticles for Dielectric and Electronic Applications

The synthesis of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) or hairy nanoparticles (HNPs) by tethering of polymer chains to the surface of nanoparticles is an important technique to obtain nanostructured hybrid materials that have been widely used in the formulation of advanced polymer nanocomposites. Ceramic-based polymer nanocomposites integrate key attributes of polymer and ceramic nanomaterial to improve the dielectric properties such as breakdown strength, energy density and dielectric loss. This review describes the "grafting from" and "grafting to" approaches commonly adopted to graft polymer chains on NPs pertaining to nano-dielectrics. The article also covers various surface initiated controlled radical polymerization techniques, along with templated approaches for grafting of polymer chains onto SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, and Al2O3 nanomaterials. As a look towards applications, an outlook on high-performance polymer nanocomposite capacitors for the design of high energy density pulsed power thin-film capacitors is also presented.