Broadband Radio Frequency Dielectric Permittivity and Electrical Conductivity of Dispersed Tin Oxide and Silica Nanoparticles in Poly(Ethylene Oxide)/Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Blend Matrix-Based Nanocomposites for Nanodielectric Applications

Abstract

In regards to the advances in hybrid polymer nanocomposite (HPNC) materials for high-frequency nanodielectric applications, herein we report the broadband radio frequency range (1 MHz to 1 GHz) dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of composites of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend matrices and oxide nanofillers (tin oxide (SnO2) and silica (SiO2)), in the form of PEO/PMMA/SnO2 and PEO/PMMA/SiO2 films at ambient temperature. The results confirmed that these HPNCs have low dielectric permittivity values which decrease slightly, from 3.4 to 2.8, with increasing nanofillers concentrations and the applied electric field frequency. The dependency of the dielectric permittivity on the different oxide nanoparticles sizes and their dielectric constant was explored. The dielectric loss tangent spectra of these hybrid materials indicated that they were reasonably low loss nanodielectrics having a dipolar orientation relaxation in the higher frequency region. The radiofrequency electrical conductivity of the HPNCs was found to increase linearly from ∼10−8 to 10−4 S/cm with the increase of frequency, and it was less dependent on the fillers concentrations. Considering the dielectric and electrical properties, it is proposed that these PEO/PMMA/SnO2 and PEO/PMMA/SiO2 composites could be highly useful materials for dielectric substrates and insulators in the development of radiofrequency operative flexible-type electrical and electronic components and devices.