Enhanced Dielectric Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane Elastomer-Based Composites with Cyanosilicone

Over the past decade, polysiloxane-based dielectric elastomers have attracted great interest because they are promising electroactive soft materials. However, the intrinsic low permittivity of polysiloxanes has become the major deficiency for their practical application. Herein, we report the dielectric properties and dielectric relaxation processes of silicone/cyanosilicone elastomer composites. The permittivity of the elastomer films was raised from 2.52 to 9.25 (1 Hz) by introducing cyanosilicone oil into a polydimethylsiloxane matrix. From broadband dielectric spectroscopy, the cyanosilicone oil significantly increased the αPCMHS relaxation and Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars relaxation. The contribution of the direct current conductance in high-temperature and low-frequency regions is suppressed. The elastomer composites exhibited lower Young's modulus and pretty low dielectric loss, which would be beneficial to the actuation and sensor behavior. This work paves the way for preparing polysiloxane-based soft materials with high permittivity, low dielectric loss, and Young's modulus.