Recently, Professor Zhang Xin’s research group from Wuhan University of Technology’s International Demonstration School of Materials Science and Engineering (School of Materials and Microelectronics)/ State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology For Materials Synthesis and Processing made significant progress in the research of high-temperature composite dielectric energy storage materials. The related achievement, titled “High-temperature capacitive energy storage in polymer nanocomposites through nanoconfinement”, was published in Nature Communications (2024, 15, 6655), with WUT being the first completing unit, PhD student Li Xinhui from the group being the first author, and Professor Zhang Xin, Academician Nan Cewen from Tsinghua University, and Professor Zhang Shujun from the University of Wollongong being the co-corresponding authors. Key contributors also included Associate Professor Li Bei from WUT.

The research team has constructed an innovative metallic wire capacitor by  fabricating flexible ultra-thin nanolaminated composite films on metal wires with a curved surfaces. In comparison to commercial capacitors, these nanolaminated metallic wire capacitors offer higher capacitance while significantly reducing the device volume and extending the operational temperature range. This research provides a new approach for the development of high-temperature, high-performance flexible polymer nanocomposites and holds promise for expanding the high-temperature applications of high-energy storage capacitors.

Figure 1: Molecular thermodynamics and properties of polyetherimide films confined by Al2O3.

Figure 2: Flexible nanolaminated composite materials and metallic wire capacitors. 

Paper link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51052-y

Zhang Xin, professor and doctoral supervisor of the International School of Materials Science and Engineering (School of Materials and Microelectronics) / State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology For Materials Synthesis and Processing, is a recipient of the National Excellent Young Scientists Fund. He has long been  dedicated to research in dielectric energy storage materials, flexible sensing materials, and devices. His accolades include the First Prize of Natural Science of the Ministry of Education (2023) and the China Dielectric Physics Outstanding Youth Award (2023), and so forth.

Written by: Tang Hui

Reviewed by: YanKui

Rewritten by: Lin Qiaochu

Edited by: Liang Muwei, Li Tiantian

Source: International School of Materials Science and Engineering (School of Materials and Microelectronics)