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Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Application of a Coupling Agent to Improve the Dielectric Properties of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites
Published on: September 19, 2020
Decoupling thermal stability and insulation in dielectric polymers via donor-acceptor rearrangement
Yuting Wan1, Hang Luo2, Zhongna Yan3
1State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, PR China.
Abstract:
Polymer dielectrics with enhanced thermal stability and electrical insulation are urgently needed for capacitive energy storage applications in electric power systems. There is a persistent challenge to break the contradictory correlation between high heat resistance and low electrical conduction in polymers. Here, we employ benzyl-induced crosslinking to rearrange short-range structural units in polyimide chains, reducing electrical conduction loss. The designed polymer exhibits an electrical conductivity more than 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of commercial heat-resistant polymers, while its glass transition temperature (Tg) increases from 236.31 °C (for polyetherimide) to 289.72 °C. Consequently, a discharged energy densities of 6.38 J cm-3 and 3.04 J cm-3, with charge-discharge efficiencies above 90%, are achieved at 200 °C and 250 °C, respectively, demonstrating among the best in all-organic dielectric polymers. This work presents a feasible approach to break the adverse correlation between thermal stability and electrical insulation in polyimide materials.
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