Polymer Nanocomposites for Energy Storage Applications

Abstract

To meet the rising need for on-demand electric energy, dielectric capacitors have been of increasing interest owing to their unique energy storage properties. The ability to deliver large amounts energy near instantaneously with a simple device that can last over millions of cycles is making dielectric capacitors one of the most attractive future options for large-scale electrical energy storage. The low gravimetric energy density, however, has prevented its widespread application in a wide range of fields including electric vehicles, and personal power technologies. Ceramic and polymer materials are being developed for energy storage, however, intrinsic limits on their dielectric properties (e.g., breakdown field and dielectric constant, respectively) prevents them from being used for high energy density applications. Because of this, composite systems of ceramics and polymers have been of increasing interest as they hold the potential for simultaneous improvement of both the dielectric constant and breakdown field leading to significant improvements in the energy storage potential. Herein we present new results and discuss the state of dielectric capacitor research including a discussion of the properties of interest. Recent developments in the field will be discussed including improvements in material properties, processing, and interface issues that arise when compositing materials as well as solutions to overcome these obstacles.