Multistep and Multiscale Electron Trapping for High-Efficiency Modulation of Electrical Degradation in Polymer Dielectrics

Modulating the electron- or hole-trapping process is crucial for enhancing electrical degradation resistance in polymer dielectrics in modern electrical and electronic equipment. Using density functional theory, we demonstrate for the first time that synergistic antioxidants can introduce multistep and multiscale charge-trapping sites to highly efficiently scatter the electron energy and can act as voltage stabilizers for polymer dielectrics to enhance the electrical degradation durability. Important parameters, such as the energy level, density of states, and three-dimensional electrostatic potential, are calculated to identify the charge-modulating mechanisms. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the electronic structures of synergistic antioxidant byproducts can facilitate the realization of long-term charge modulation. Synergistic antioxidants with sought-after properties, which act as high-efficiency and high-versatility voltage stabilizers, offer a novel and important reference for designing polymer dielectrics that have excellent electrical degradation resistance.