Dielectric investigation of inorganic–organic hybrid film based on zirconium oxocluster-crosslinked PMMA

Through photocopolymerisation of the cluster Zr4O2(OMc)12 bearing 12 polymerisable groups with methylmethacrylate in a monomer:cluster molar ratio of 50, a novel inorganic–organic hybrid thin film was obtained. The prepared thin film, having a thickness of about 70 μm, was characterised through dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric spectra of the film were measured at different temperatures (20–73.4 °C) and in the frequency range 20 Hz–1 MHz. The α and β relaxations typical of polyalkylmethacrylate polymers were detected and the electric response mechanisms were investigated by analysing the dielectric spectra in terms of the Davidson–Cole phenomenological equation. Finally, a dielectric constant of 1.93 at 25 °C and 1 kHz was determined. This value classifies this system as a promising dielectric material for the development of electronic devices, such as polymer based field effect transistors.