Enhanced permittivity and energy density in neat poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) terpolymer films through control of morphology.

Polymer materials with large dielectric constants are desirable for the development of high energy density capacitors. We show that the dielectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)] can be improved by the use of processing conditions that favor formation of a highly crystalline morphology of the nonpolar α-phase. Through the use of spin coating, thermal treatment above the melting temperature, and quenching, we were able to attain a highly crystalline, α-phase rich morphology that has a quite large dielectric constant of 77 ± 10 at 1 kHz.

High-energy-density sol-gel thin film based on neat 2-cyanoethyltrimethoxysilane.

Hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel dielectric thin films from a neat 2-cyanoethyltrimethoxysilane (CNETMS) precursor have been fabricated and their permittivity, dielectric strength, and energy density characterized. CNETMS sol-gel films possess compact, polar cyanoethyl groups and exhibit a relative permittivity of 20 at 1 kHz and breakdown strengths ranging from 650 V/μm to 250 V/μm for film thicknesses of 1.3 to 3.

Barium titanate-polymer composites produced via directional freezing.

In this study, we use a freeze casting technique to construct ceramic-polymer composites in which the 2 phases are arranged in an electrically parallel configuration. By doing so, the composites exhibit dielectric constant (K) up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of composites with ceramic particles randomly dispersed in a polymer matrix. In this technique, an aqueous ceramic slurry was frozen unidirectionally to form ice platelets and ceramic aggregates that were aligned in the temperature gradient direction.

High energy density nanocomposites based on surface-modified BaTiO(3) and a ferroelectric polymer.

The dielectric permittivity and electric breakdown strength of nanocomposites comprising poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoro propylene) and phosphonic acid surface-modified BaTiO(3) nanoparticles have been investigated as a function of the volume fraction of nanoparticles. The mode of binding of pentafluorobenzylphosphonic acid on the BaTiO(3) particles was investigated using infrared and (31)P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the phosphonic acid was found to form well ordered, tightly bound monolayers. The effective permittivity of nanocomposites with low volume fractions (<50%) was in good agreement with standard theoretical models, with a maximum relative permittivity of 35.

Reduced renal Na+-K+-Cl- co-transporter activity and inhibited NKCC2 mRNA expression by Leptospira shermani: from bed-side to bench.

Background: Renal involvement is common in leptospirosis. Interstitial nephritis with interstitial oedema and mononuclear cellular infiltration are the usual findings. Clinically, non-oligouric acute renal failure, hypokalaemia and sodium wasting appear frequently in leptospirosis.