Preparation and energy storage properties of PEN/PANI@BT composite films

Optimizing dielectric properties and energy storage density is crucial for enhancing the performance of fundamental energy storage electronic components, which has sparked significant research interest among scholars worldwide. In this study, polyaniline (PANI)-coated nano-barium titanate (BaTiO₃) core-shell structured particles, denoted as PANI@BT, were designed and synthesized. Bisphenol A-type polyarylether nitrile (PEN) was employed as the polymer matrix. PANI@BT was incorporated into the matrix, and the polymer-based composite film PEN/PANI@BT was fabricated using a flat coating method. The structural morphology of PANI@BT and its impact on the structure and properties of PEN were systematically investigated. The results demonstrate that PANI@BT can enhance the thermal stability of the PEN composite film to a certain extent. With a 10 wt% filler loading, PANI@BT optimizes the mechanical properties of PEN, achieving a tensile strength of 75 MPa and a tensile modulus of 2216 MPa. At a frequency of 100 Hz, the dielectric constant of pure PEN is 3.9, while that of PEN/PANI@BT reaches a maximum of 11.4. The dielectric loss remains low, with a maximum value of 0.073. Additionally, the composite film exhibits a maximum energy storage density of 0.814 J/cm³, representing an 89 % improvement compared to pure PEN. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.