Achieving synergistic improvement in dielectric and energy storage properties at high-temperature of all-organic composites via physical electrostatic effect.

In response to the increasing demand for miniaturization and lightweight equipment, as well as the challenges of application in harsh environments, there is an urgent need to explore the new generation of high-temperature-resistant film capacitors with excellent energy storage properties. In this study, we report an all-organic composite system based on two polymers with similar densities and high glass transition temperatures, achieving a synergistic effect of dielectric constant and breakdown strength. The preparation of the composite is simple, overcoming the challenge of dispersing nanoparticles in traditional organic-inorganic systems. The high polarity of polyethersulfone can modulate the polarization properties of the composites and, through a physical electrostatic effect, inhibit dipole relaxation, further reducing the current density of the composite dielectric at high temperatures, resulting in a significant improvement in insulating properties. The 9 : 1 composite dielectric at 150 °C demonstrates an energy storage density of up to 6.4 J cm-3 and an efficiency of 82.7%. This study offers a promising candidate material and development direction for the next-generation energy storage capacitors with broad application prospects.

Advances in Polymer Dielectrics with High Energy Storage Performance by Designing Electric Charge Trap Structures.

Dielectric capacitors have been developed for nearly a century, and all-polymer film capacitors are currently the most popular. Much effort has been devoted to studying polymer dielectric capacitors and improving their capacitive performance, but their high conductivity and capacitance losses under high electric fields or elevated temperatures are still significant challenges. Although many review articles have reported various strategies to address these problems, to the best of current knowledge, no review article has summarized the recent progress in the high-energy storage performance of polymer-based dielectric films with electric charge trap structures. Therefore, this paper first reviews the charge trap characterization methods for polymeric dielectrics and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. The research progress on the design of charge trap structures in polymer dielectric films, including molecular chain optimization, organic doping, blending modification, inorganic doping, multilayered structures, and the mechanisms of the charge trap-induced enhancement of the capacitive performance of polymers are systematically reviewed. Finally, a summary and outlook on the fundamental theory of charge trap regulation, performance characterization, numerical calculations, and engineering applications are presented. This review provides a valuable reference for improving the insulation and energy storage performance of dielectric capacitive films.

The Effect of Nanoparticles and Alternative Monomer on the Exothermic Temperature of PMMA Bone Cement.

Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) cement produce exothermic reaction during its polymerization process, which damage the surrounding bone tissue during orthopedic surgery. Nanoparticles additives (magnesium oxide, hydroxyapatite, chitosan, barium sulfate and silica) and alternative monomers (glycidyl methacrylate(GMA) tri-methaxysilyl propyl methacrylate (3MPMA)), can be incorporated with the PMMA beads and methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers, respectively, to reduce the exothermic temperature. A comparative study of the addition of these additives and monomer at different concentration on exothermic temperature of PMMA is not known and significant for designing improved PMMA cement for orthopedic applications. The goal of this study is two folds: (1) to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of the above additives with PMMA on the exothermic temperature of PMMA, (2) to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of the above alternative monomers on the exothermic temperature of PMMA. A commercial bone cement was used in this study as PMMA cement. Two wt% and six wt% of the above nanoparticle were mixed with PMMA beads. Two and six wt% of the above alterative monomers were mixed with MMA monomers. Bead and monomer ratio of 2:1 was maintained to prepare the cement samples. A 4-channel thermocouple was used to determine the temperature changes of the samples in an insulated acrylic mold during the curing period. This study found maximum curing temperature on the 2 wt% Magnesium oxide added PMMA specimen was significantly lower than other samples. Addition of 3MPMA and GMA to MMA decreased the maximum curing temperatures and curing time of specimens compared to other samples.

Effect of additive particles on mechanical, thermal, and cell functioning properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) cement.

The most common bone cement material used clinically today for orthopedic surgery is poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Conventional PMMA bone cement has several mechanical, thermal, and biological disadvantages. To overcome these problems, researchers have investigated combinations of PMMA bone cement and several bioactive particles (micrometers to nanometers in size), such as magnesium oxide, hydroxyapatite, chitosan, barium sulfate, and silica. A study comparing the effect of these individual additives on the mechanical, thermal, and cell functional properties of PMMA would be important to enable selection of suitable additives and design improved PMMA cement for orthopedic applications. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the effect of inclusion of magnesium oxide, hydroxyapatite, chitosan, barium sulfate, and silica additives in PMMA on the mechanical, thermal, and cell functional performance of PMMA. American Society for Testing and Materials standard three-point bend flexural and fracture tests were conducted to determine the flexural strength, flexural modulus, and fracture toughness of the different PMMA samples. A custom-made temperature measurement system was used to determine maximum curing temperature and the time needed for each PMMA sample to reach its maximum curing temperature. Osteoblast adhesion and proliferation experiments were performed to determine cell viability using the different PMMA cements. We found that flexural strength and fracture toughness were significantly greater for PMMA specimens that incorporated silica than for the other specimens. All additives prolonged the time taken to reach maximum curing temperature and significantly improved cell adhesion of the PMMA samples. The results of this study could be useful for improving the union of implant-PMMA or bone-PMMA interfaces by incorporating nanoparticles into PMMA cement for orthopedic and orthodontic applications.