Novel BaTiO3@TiO2 Incorporated Flexible Nanocomposites for Energy Storage Applications

A paramount challenge confronting humanity in the current century is the assurance of our future energy needs. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of a research conducted, wherein BaTiO 3 @TiO 2 coupled nanoparticles and a PVDF/PVDF-HFP polymer matrix, in a 30/70 wt.% ratio, were used to synthesize a novel flexible polymer nanocomposite capacitor. A major focus of this research was assessing the resultant properties of the composite after varying the wt% of nanoparticles present in the blend; the first sample, A1, has 0 wt.% of coupled nanoparticles, acting as the base control sample. The remaining five samples have an odd wt.% of coupled nanoparticles; starting from 1 wt.% all the way up to 9 wt.%; this was done to find an optimal ratio between the polymer blend and coupled nanoparticles primarily for energy storage purposes. Apart from the required characterization tests of XRD, SEM, TGA, and DSC, Electroding was also performed for each of the samples to test and compare their electrical properties. Analyzing the results of the six samples concluded that the Sample A2 with 1 wt.% coupled nanoparticles exhibited the best electrical performance, with a discharge energy density of 8.5 Jcm$^{-3}$, whereas for thermal uses, Sample A6 with 9 wt.% coupled nanoparticles was the most effective, sustaining up to $447^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.