Recent advances in dynamic covalent bond technology have made polymer dielectric materials capable of self-repairing mechanical damage a reality. However, research on high-performance high-k composite materials capable of self-repairing electrical damage remains limited due to certain technical challenges.

To address these issues, a research team led by Professor Zhang Guanjun from the School of Electrical Engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) proposed an innovative solution. Inspired by the mild reaction conditions, catalyst-free nature, multiple responsiveness, and easy availability of dynamic disulfide bonds among many dynamic covalent bonds, the team designed and prepared a high-k composite material based on epoxy resin containing dynamic disulfide bonds. The research results show that this material has excellent dielectric properties and thermal resistance.

The research results provide a new solution for the application of repairable high-k composite materials in the electronics and electrical industries and can serve as an important for the realization of high-performance, long-life high-k composite materials, showcasing great potential for application and practical implementation.

The research results, titled Epoxy-based high-k composite vitrimer: With low dielectric loss, high breakdown strength and surface electrical damage repairability, were published in Chemical Engineering Journal, a leading chemical engineering publication. The lead author of the paper is Zhang Yucheng, a Ph.D. student from the School of Electrical Engineering at XJTU. The corresponding authors are Assistant Professor Li Wendong and Professor Zhang Guanjun from XJTU. The primary institution responsible for this work is the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment at XJTU.