Enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties induced by TiO2@MWCNTs nanoparticles in flexible poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites

Flexible polymer based composites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been reported to present high dielectric constant. However, the composites generally exhibit high dielectric loss and low dielectric breakdown strength, which prohibits their practical use in electronic and electric industry. MWCNTs were coated with a continuous layer of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2@MWCNTs) by a simple hydrothermal process and TiO2@MWCNTs/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composites were prepared by a solution casting method. Compared to the pristine MWCNTs/PVDF composites, the TiO2@MWCNTs/PVDF composites presented enhanced dielectric constant and lower dielectric loss. Additionally, the breakdown strength of the TiO2@MWCNTs/PVDF composites was also improved, which is favorable for enhanced ferroelectric properties in the composites.