Recent Advances on Multilayer Polymer Composites of High Energy Density and Low Dielectric Loss

Abstract

Polymer-based composites are highly regarded as favorable candidate materials for dielectrics in high-energy-density capacitors, owing to their exceptional flexibility and fast charge-discharge capabilities. Recently, multilayer-structured polymer composites have gained significant attention as a promising solution for energy storage and dielectric applications, offering a combination of high energy density and low dielectric loss. These polymer multilayer films, comprising two or more layers synthesized through specific fabrication processes, have presented extensive uses in various applications, including packaging and optical materials, such as oxygen barrier, holographic anti-counterfeiting, and optical sensing, due to their versatile and tunable functionalities. The distinctive chemical composition and structural design of these layers, whether symmetrically or gradient distributed, endow these dielectric composites with superior integrated electric properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of fabrication methods and strategies employed in the latest advancements in dielectric multilayer-structured polymers for energy storage applications. It delves into the design and manufacturing techniques of advanced multilayer composites, highlighting the diverse strategies utilized to enhance energy performance, such as polarization manipulation, electric field distribution control, interfacial modification, and geometric confinement of interfaces within both organic and organic/inorganic multilayer-structured composites. Lastly, this review addresses the current challenges and future prospects in the development of multilayer composites with enhanced energy storage performance.