Large dielectric constant of the chemically purified carbon nanotube/polymer composites

The chemically purified multiwalled carbon nanotube/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (MWCNT/PVDF) composites were fabricated. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrographs indicated that the catalysts metal particles and amorphous carbon had been removed from the purified MWCNTs. The percolation threshold of the composites is relatively large. about 3.8 vol.%. The most important result is that the dielectric constant of the composires is enhanced remarkably, and the dielectric constant of 3600 is obtained in the composite with 8 vol.% purified MWCNT at 1 kHz. The large dielectric constant can be attributed to the preparation procedure and the interface effect between the MWCNTs and the polymer. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.