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Download fileSilica Nanoparticles Treated by Cold Atmospheric-Pressure Plasmas Improve the Dielectric Performance of Organic–Inorganic Nanocomposites
journal contribution
posted on 2012-05-23, 00:00 authored by Wei Yan, Zhao Jun Han, B. Toan Phung, Kostya (Ken) OstrikovWe report on the application of cold atmospheric-pressure
plasmas
to modify silica nanoparticles to enhance their compatibility with
polymer matrices. Thermally nonequilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasma
is generated by a high-voltage radio frequency power source operated
in the capacitively coupled mode with helium as the working gas. Compared
to the pure polymer and the polymer nanocomposites with untreated
SiO2, the plasma-treated SiO2–polymer
nanocomposites show higher dielectric breakdown strength and extended
endurance under a constant electrical stress. These improvements are
attributed to the stronger interactions between the SiO2 nanoparticles and the surrounding polymer matrix after the plasma
treatment. Our method is generic and can be used in the production
of high-performance organic–inorganic functional nanocomposites.