2D Nanosheet Spray Coating for Scalable Processing of High-Energy-Density Dielectric Polymer Films

Dielectric film capacitors with high power density and rapid charge–discharge capability are widely used as key components in modern electronic and electrical systems, and polymers are primary dielectric for film capacitors due to their low cost, flexibility, and ease of processing. Here, a surface engineering approach is reported to improve the energy storage properties of polymer films by directly spray coating 2D nanosheets on the polymer film surface. The spraying of 2D calcium niobate nanosheets on the surface of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films leads to remarkably increased breakdown strength and dielectric constant, resulting in a maximum 64% enhancement of energy density compared to the pristine BOPP films. Ultraviolet irradiation is further employed to improve the adhesion of nanosheets to the BOPP film surface, leading to an ultrahigh energy density of 11.6 J cm−3 with a high energy efficiency of 90%, which is the highest energy density ever achieved in polypropylene-based films. This work provides a universal, cost-effective, and scalable approach to improve the energy density of dielectric polymer films, which is of great significance for the application of high-energy-density polymer films in compact and efficient power systems.