Giant Dielectric Permittivity Nanocomposites: Realizing True Potential of Pristine Carbon Nanotubes in Polyvinylidene Fluoride Matrix through an Enhanced Interfacial Interaction

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have unprecedented electronic properties and large specific areas as nanoscale fillers, but their potential has not been fully realized in polymer composites due to the poor dispersion and weak interfacial interaction. Here, we present a robust and simple procedure to prepare polymer-based composites with a remarkable molecular level interaction at interfaces through melt-mixing pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) within poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix. The interfacial interaction is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy as well as the formation of much thin PVDF layer on individual MWNT. The resultant nanocomposite with a huge interfacial area possesses a giant dielectric permittivity (3800) of 3 orders of magnitude higher than the PVDF matrix, while retaining a low conductivity level (6.3 × 10−5 S.m−1) and an excellent thermal stability. These results could be explained by a reinforced Maxwell−Wagner−Sillars (MWS) effect based on the remarkable molecular level interaction.