Huang Xiaoyan, Zhang Shuai, Zhang Pei, Zhu Yujie, Xie Jiaye, Yang Mingcong, Han Lu, Hu Jun, Li Qi, He Jinliang
State Key Laboratory of Power System, Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Nat Mater. 2024 Feb;23(2):237-243. doi: 10.1038/s41563-023-01725-8. Epub 2023 Nov 16.
Dielectric polymers are ubiquitous as electrical insulation in electronic devices and electrical systems. Electrical degradation of dielectric polymers tends to initiate catastrophic failure of numerous devices and systems, but its detection and early warning remain challenging. Here we report a general material strategy that signals the electrical degradation of dielectric polymers by autonomously presenting a visually discernible warning in the form of a pronounced colour change. This colour change is induced by the chromogenic response of molecular indicators blended with the polymer, which are chemically activated by the oxygen radicals generated in situ during the electrical degradation of the polymer. We unveil that the structural degradation and electrical properties of the dielectric polymer are quantitatively correlated with the colour difference. Such a chromogenic process is autonomous without the need of human intervention or other external energy, thus offering the convenience to lower or even eliminate the risk of dielectric failure.
