Design of Polysaccharide-Based Nanocomposites for Eco-Friendly Flexible Electronics

Abstract

Flexible electronics is an applicative field in continuous expansion. This article addresses the requirements of this domain regarding eco-friendly and flexible components from a renewable chitosan polysaccharide that is progressively reinforced with barium titanate nanoparticles. Ultrafine ceramic powder was produced by the coprecipitation method, and the resulting phase composition and morphology were investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, together with the perovskite structure of the spherical nanoparticles. FTIR studies were conducted to elucidate the interactions between the two constituting phases of the composites. The filler dispersion in the matrix was checked by scanning electron microscopy. The rheological percolation threshold was compared with that extracted from electrical measurements. The thermal behavior was assessed by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The dielectric properties as a function of frequency and applied electric field were investigated, and the results are discussed in terms of extrinsic contributions. The current results demonstrate a straightforward method for producing tunable flexible structures.