NU 2012-162 

Inventors

Tobin J. Marks* 

Lisa A. Fredin 

Mark A. Ratner 

Massimiliano Delferro 

Zhong Li 

Michael T. Lanagan 

Short Description

Novel aluminum nanocomposite combines high permittivity and low energy loss with simple processability

Abstract

Northwestern University scientists have developed an advanced nanocomposite material that improves upon currently available dielectrics. Capacitors and many other technologies are based on dielectric materials. However, to enable further advances in capacitor production a dielectric with high permittivity, high breakdown strength, low loss and fast response is needed. The Marks group invented just such a material, when they designed a nanocomposite that merges two types to dielectrics, a metal particle and a polymer. The resulting aluminum nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposite is simple to produce in addition to having a favorable energy storage profile. This novel dielectric material is a disruptive technology expected to contribute to medical, automobile and defense industries by enabling next-generation high energy density pulsed-power capacitors. 

Applications

• Sensors
• Defibrillators
• Automobile: regenerative breaking and ultracapacitors for ignition
• Military: Railguns

Advantages

• Low cost
• Easy to process by common polymer methods
• High capacitance and energy recovery

Publications

Fredin LA, Li Z, Lanagan MT, Ratner MA, Marks TJ. (2013) Sustainable high capacitance at high frequencies: metallic aluminum-polypropylene nanocomposites. ACS Nano. 7(1): 396-407.

Fredin LA, Li Z, Ratner MA, Lanagan MT, Marks TJ. (2012) Enhanced energy storage and suppressed dielectric loss in oxide core-shell-polyolefin nanocomposites by moderating internal surface area and increasing shell thickness. Advanced Materials. 24(44): 5946-53. 

IP Status

A US patent application (US 14/853,825) has been filed.