High-frequency dielectric spectroscopy of batio3 core - silica shell nanocomposites: Problem of interdiffusion

TL;DR

This study uses high-frequency dielectric spectroscopy to analyze BaTiO3 core-silica shell nanocomposites, revealing interdiffusion effects and interfacial polarization that influence dielectric properties across a broad frequency range.

Contribution

It demonstrates the sensitivity of broadband dielectric spectroscopy in detecting interdiffusion and inhomogeneities in core-shell nanocomposites, highlighting its potential for material characterization.

Findings

Dielectric dispersion correlates with interdiffusion levels.

Interfacial polarization significantly affects dielectric response.

Spectroscopy detects inhomogeneities even with negligible conductivity.

Abstract

Three types of BaTiO3 core - amorphous nano-shell composite ceramics were processed from the same core-shell powder by standard sintering, spark-plasma sintering and two-step sintering techniques and characterized by XRD, HRSEM and broad-band dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range 10^3 - 10^13 Hz including the THz and IR range. The samples differed by porosity and by the amount of interdiffusion from the cores to shells, in correlation with their increasing porosity. The dielectric spectra were also calculated using suitable models based on effective medium approximation. The measurements revealed a strong dielectric dispersion below the THz range, which cannot be explained by the modeling, and whose strength was in correlation with the degree of interdiffusion. We assigned it to an effect of the interdiffusion layers, giving rise to a strong interfacial polarization. It appears that the high-frequency dielectric spectroscopy is an extremely sensitive tool for detection of any gradient layers and sample inhomogeneities even in dielectric materials with negligible conductivity.