Colossal dielectric and electromechanical responses in self-assembled polymeric nanocomposites

An electroactive polymer nanocomposite, in which high dielectric constant copper phthalocyanine oligomer (o-CuPc) nanoparticles are incorporated into the block polyurethane (PU) matrix by the combination of "top down" and "bottom up" approaches, was realized. Such an approach enables the nanocomposite to exhibit colossal dielectric and electromechanical responses with very low volume fraction of the high dielectric constant o-CuPc nanofillers (similar to 3.5%) in the composite. In contrast, a simple blend of o-CuPc and PU composite with much higher o-CuPc content (similar to 16% of o-CuPc) shows much lower dielectric and electromechanical responses. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.