posted on 2022-04-08, 10:43authored byPriscilla
F. Pieters, Antoine Lainé, He Li, Yi-Hsien Lu, Yashpal Singh, Lin-Wang Wang, Yi Liu, Ting Xu, A. Paul Alivisatos, Miquel Salmeron
Nanoscale
engineered materials such as nanocomposites can display
or be designed to enhance their material properties through control
of the internal interfaces. Here, we unveil the nanoscale origin and
important characteristics of the enhanced dielectric breakdown capabilities
of gold nanoparticle/polymer nanocomposites. Our multiscale approach
spans from the study of a single chemically designed organic/inorganic
interface to micrometer-thick films. At the nanoscale, we relate the
improved breakdown strength to the interfacial charge retention capability
by combining scanning probe measurements and density functional theory
calculations. At the meso- and macroscales, our findings highlight
the relevance of the nanoparticle concentration and distribution in
determining and enhancing the dielectric properties, as well as identifying
this as a crucial limiting factor for the achievable sample size.