Electrical and dielectric properties of barium titanate – polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite with 0-3 connectivity modified with carbon nanotube (CNT)

Abstract

This study explored the preparation and electrical properties of 0–3 barium titanate/polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposites by dispersing barium titanate nanoparticles (BaTiO₃; BT) into the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix phase. The effect of barium titanate nanoparticles on electrical properties has been investigated systematically, and the relative permittivity of nanocomposites was found to increase significantly with increasing barium titanate content. Different theoretical models were used to predict the dielectric constant of these composites and compare their experimental value with the theoretical value in order to find an appropriate equation. The result indicated that the dielectric properties of composites are influenced not only by relative permittivity of the components but also dependence on interactions between ceramics and polymers. Furthermore, the preparation and dielectric properties of BT/PDMS nanocomposites modified with carbon nanotube (CNT) were also studied. The dielectric results demonstrate that adding CNT can enhance the relative permittivity of the BT/PDMS composite via improvement of dispersion and distribution of the BT nanoparticles in the PDMS matrix phase. Moreover, the electrical outputs from the BT/PDMS/CNT nanocomposites generator were measured under periodic knocking. The nanocomposites innovatively expand the feasibility of self-powered energy systems for smart sensor and energy harvesting applications.

Keywords:

• Barium titanate
• Polydimethylsiloxane
• 0-3 Composite
• Dielectric properties
• Carbon nanotube

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang under grant number KREF145908 and 2561-01-05-77.