Significantly improved dielectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymer nanocomposites by the addition of nAu−LaFeO3 hybrid particles

ABSTRACT The dielectric properties of gold nanoparticle−LaFeO3 (nAu−LFO)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer nanocomposites are studied. The surface of the LFO nanoparticles is coated with nAu using a modified Turkevich method, as confirmed through X−ray diffraction and energy dispersive X−ray spectroscopy. The β−phase content of the nanocomposites is obtained through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The dielectric permittivity (e′) of the nAu−LFO/PVDF nanocomposites increases significantly with a low volume fraction of nAu (fnAu). With fnAu = 0.098 and fLFO = 0.393, the e′ of the nAu−LFO/PVDF nanocomposite is 118.5, which is approximately 11 and 2 times higher than those of the pure PVDF polymer and two−phase LFO/PVDF, respectively, and is constant over a wide frequency range. A low loss tangent (tanδ = 0.059) is simultaneously obtained. Hence, the incorporation of nAu−LFO hybrid nanoparticles into a PVDF matrix is an effective way to enhance e′ and suppresses tanδ of polymer nanocomposites for dielectrics applications.