A highly scalable dielectric metamaterial with superior capacitor performance over a broad temperature

Although many polymers exhibit excellent dielectric performance including high energy density with high efficiency at room temperature, their electric and dielectric performance deteriorates at high temperatures (~150°C). Here, we show that nanofillers at very low volume content in a high-temperature (high-glass transition temperature) semicrystalline dipolar polymer, poly(arylene ether urea), can generate local structural changes, leading to a marked increase in both dielectric constant and breakdown field, and substantially reduce conduction losses at high electric fields and over a broad temperature range. Consequently, the polymer with a low nanofiller loading (0.2 volume %) generates a high discharged energy density of ca. 5 J/cm3 with high efficiency at 150°C. The experimental data reveal microstructure changes in the nanocomposites, which, at 0.2 volume % nanofiller loading, reduce constraints on dipole motions locally in the glassy state of the polymer, reduce the mean free path for the mobile charges, and enhance the deep trap level.