Dielectric Materials: Challenges and Prospects

Dear Colleagues,

Contemporary lifestyles and our technological civilization are based on the ability to distribute and use electrical power safely and easily. This can be achieved by employing all three electrical categories of materials, namely, conductors, semi-conductors, and insulators. Dielectrics or dielectric materials are non-conductive materials which can be polarized by an exerted electric field. Dielectrics can be natural or synthetic, ceramic, polymer, mineral, organic, or composite in nature. The role of dielectrics in emerging technologies is crucial, since the current and potential applications of dielectrics include, but are not limited to, integrated capacitors, acoustic emission sensors, solar cells, batteries, strain sensors, interlayer capacitors, self-current regulators, wireless personal digital assistance, electromagnetic shielding, energy storing devices, to name but a few. Moreover, in the era of nanomaterials, new perspectives are offered concerning dielectrics. Studying the interactions between polar molecules or groups, induced dipoles, and interfacial phenomena could lead to controlling and tailoring the electric performance of nanodielectrics, thus creating “personalized” materials for each application. The challenges and prospects of research in the field of dielectrics appear to be wide open and require, but also attract, scientific attention.

This Special Issue on “Dielectric Materials: Challenges and Prospects” welcomes original research and reviews on experimental or theoretical/computational studies of all kind of dielectrics. Development of novel dielectric materials, nanocomposites, hybrids, biological systems, electrical engineering devices, electroresponsive materials, smart materials, structure–property relationships and applications all comprise a short—and definitely not exhaustive—list of the possible subjects for this Special Issue.

Prof. Georgios C. Psarras
Guest Editor

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