The effect of reduced graphene oxide on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PVDF-BaTiO3 nanocomposites

The fabrication and evolution of a high performance piezoelectric and ferroelectric material based on poly(vinylidene fluoride)-reduced graphene oxide-barium titanate (PVDF-RGO-BTO(BaTiO3)) nanocomposites have been investigated. The nanocomposites were obtained by the polymerization of graphene oxide (GO) into the PVDF matrix to achieve an insulator-conductor-insulator sandwich structure, and BTO was then carefully added to the composite. The as-prepared PVDF-RGO-BTO nanocomposite (PRB2) showed a dielectric constant of 98 and relatively low dielectric loss of 0.081 at a frequency of 1 MHz. A very low leakage current density (1.29 x 10(-7) A cm(-2)) was measured at 80 MV m(-1), suggesting the high breakdown strength of the PRB2 nanocomposite. Additionally, it exhibited a high energy density of 4.5 J cm(-3) at an electric field of 50 MV m(-1). This high performance piezoelectric-ferroelectric material can be a promising building block for its application in energy harvesting and high frequency capacitors.