Structure and Dielectric Properties of TPU Composite Filled with CNTs@PDA Nanofibers and MXene Nanosheets

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a kind of dielectric elastomer (DE) which can behave as an actuator, altering thickness strain in response to electrical stimulation. The composites are made up of fillers with a very high dielectric constant that are spread in a polymer matrix. It is very difficult to obtain large deformation at low voltage. In this study, we made two-dimensional (2D) MXene nanosheets with excellent conductivity and one-dimensional (1D) polydopamine (PDA)-modified CNT fiber fillers. After that, TPU dielectric elastomer films made of MXene/CNTs or MXene/CNTs@PDA were prepared. The results showed that the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of TPU dielectric film including MXene/CNTs were much higher than that containing MXene/CNTs@PDA, although Young’s modulus and breakdown strength (E(b)) were significantly lower. At the same time, these two types of dielectric films had a significantly higher dielectric constant and dielectric loss than pure TPU dielectric film, and their breakdown strength was significantly lower. The compatibility of CNTs@PDA fibers with the TPU matrix improves after PDA modification, and the dispersion of CNTs@PDA fibers improves, resulting in an increase in Young’s modulus. MXene with a two-dimensional nanosheet structure increases the breakdown strength of the TPU dielectric elastomer under the condition of the addition of a tiny quantity. To summarize, the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, Young’s modulus, and dielectric elastomer breakdown strength are mutually restrictive conditions, and the relationship between all parties must be balanced to obtain obvious deformation properties.