Biocompatible neem gum-modified polyvinyl alcohol composite as dielectric material for flexible energy devices

Kiruthika Parangusan; Venkat Subramaniam; Anandha Babu; P Sundara Venkatesh; S Vijayalakshmi; Deepalekshmi Ponnamma

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28379

Biocompatible neem gum-modified polyvinyl alcohol composite as dielectric material for flexible energy devices

Heliyon. 2024 Mar 20;10(7):e28379. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28379. eCollection 2024 Apr 15.

Authors

Kiruthika Parangusan¹, Venkat Subramaniam¹, Anandha Babu^{2

3}, P Sundara Venkatesh⁴, S Vijayalakshmi⁴, Deepalekshmi Ponnamma⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electronics, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.
² Department of Physics, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Tamilnadu, India.
³ Department of Physiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, Tamilnadu, India.
⁴ Department of Physics, Sri. S. Ramasamy Naidu Memorial College, Sattur, 626203, Tamilnadu, India.
⁵ Materials Science and Technology Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, 2713, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

In our pursuit of a flexible energy storage solution, we have developed biocompatible (bc)-NG/PVA composite polymers by combining neem tree gum (NG) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This innovative bio-inspired approach harnesses NG's unique properties for both the bio-electrolyte and bio-electrode components. The resulting bc-NG/PVA composites exhibit superior dielectric strength and versatility, surpassing traditional inorganic ceramic dielectrics in advanced electronics and pulsed power systems. Our study investigates the dielectric characteristics, conductivities, electric modulus, and impedance parameters of Pure PVA and NG-doped PVA composites. Adding 5 % NG to PVA significantly boosts its conductivity from 10^-8 S cm^-1 to 10^-4 S cm^-1, while the dielectric constant of PVA/5 % NG composite jumps to 104.5 compared to pure PVA. These improvements position the composite films of 5 % NG added PVA as promising materials for diverse applications. The heightened performance of these NG-blended PVA composite materials underscores their potential as a valuable resource for flexible energy storage solutions.

Keywords: Bio-electrode; Composite; Dielectric properties; Energy storage; Neem gum; Polymer blends.