About this Research Topic
Energy crisis and environmental pollution are two major themes currently faced by human society. The construction of a strong smart grid with super/ultra-high voltage network as the backbone and clean energy transmission as the leading shows a more important strategic role than ever since. However, the rapid development of clean and renewable energy technologies represented by wind and solar energy and the continuous growth of load demand put forward higher requirements for the safe operation of power systems, the guarantee of power supply quality, and conversion and utilization efficiency of electric energy. The performance of electrical equipment based on traditional electrical materials is often limited by their electromagnetic parameters, which can not meet the needs of the power system anymore under the new situation.
With the development of flexible electronic devices and large-scale energy storage technologies, functional polymer-matrix nanocomposites are attracting more attention due to their ease of processing, flexibility, and low cost. Because of the excellent electrical property of 1D/2D nanomaterials, high permittivity is easily obtained near the percolation threshold in nanomaterial/polymer composites. However, the formation of conductive channels also increases leakage current, which causes high dielectric loss and low breakdown strength. This contradiction seriously hinders the development of nanomaterial/polymer composites. Many efforts have been devoted to resolving these disadvantages. In this Research Topic, the latest research works on electrical nanomaterials are collected to provide a repository for the audience following the recent developments in this field.
High-quality Original Research, Review, Mini-review, and Perspective articles are all welcome for submission to this Research Topic. Research interests include but are not limited to the following areas:
• Functional nanomaterials with improved flashover voltage;
• Smart nanomaterials for energy storage;
• The application of nanocomposites in the electromagnetic field;
• The relationship between structures, components, and properties of nanocomposites;
• Elucidating of the polymer backbone or functional group degradation mechanisms;
• The application of nanocomposites in the photovoltaic field;
• The surface wettability of nanocomposites and its applications.
Keywords: Dielectric Polymer Materials, Insulation Materials, Conductive Materials, Magnetic Materials, Energy Storage Materials, Polymer Solar Cells, Superhydrophobic and Slippery Materials
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.