Enhanced dielectric performance of a block copolymer-polythiophene nanocomposite

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) transform electrical energy into mechanical work. However, despite displaying exceptional features, the low permittivity of elastomers restricts their application. Hence, to overcome this limitation, DEAs are fabricated by dispersing poly(3-methylthiophene acetate) (P3TMA), a polarizable conducting polymer, into poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] (SEBS), a thermoplastic elastomer with excellent mechanical properties. Although high-quality SEBS:P3TMA films are obtained for all compositions (between 0.5 and 20 wt % P3TMA), their thickness and surface roughness increase with the nano-sized filler content. Moreover, the conducting particles are well integrated into the SEBS network with no evidence of aggregation or significant change in the mechanical properties of the composites. P3TMA, which forms encapsulated conductive domains within the polymeric matrix, improves the dielectric behavior of SEBS:P3TMA by increasing their dielectric constant with low dielectric losses and no current leakage. Thus, indicating the potential future application of these nanocomposites as elastomer actuators or high energy density capacitors.