Optical and electrical properties of polyethylene oxide‐poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/NiZnFeO₄ NPs nanocomposite films

Abstract

Polyethylene oxide‐poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEO‐PEDOT) nanocomposite films ‐ incorporated with NiZnFeO4 nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited using a dip‐coating technique. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed peaks at 35.4, 43.2, 54.5, and 56.3° diffraction angles, corresponding to NiZnFeO4NPs diffraction planes of 311, 400, 422, and 511, respectively. The PEO‐PEDOT film exhibited a smooth amorphous nature with a sheet nanostructure behavior. The incorporation of NiZnFeO4NPs NPs into the PEO‐PEDOT nanocomposite films led to an increase in surface roughness and thermal stability. The nanocomposite films also exhibited sheet nanostructure behavior as observed by SEM micrographs. The bandgap energies of the films, as deduced from the Tauc plot, exhibited a monotonic decrease from 3.91 to 3.60 eV as the NiZnFeO4NPs concentration increased from 0 to 8 wt%. A mathematical model was formulated to predict the bandgap energies versus NiZnFeO4NPs concentration. Additionally, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite films increased monotonically from 0.46 to 1.30 mS cm−1 as the NiZnFeO4NPs concentration increased from 0 to 8 wt%, as determined by 4‐point probe. The observed correlation between the optical and electrical properties of the nanocomposite films indicates promising prospects for utilizing these materials in optoelectronic devices.

Photoconductivity of explosive percolation in conductive polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposite films

“…The bandgap energies of (PANI‐CSA)/GO nanocomposite films decrease from 3.63 to 2.47 eV as the GO volume fraction increases from 0 to 0.25. While a monoexponentially decay model typically describes the behavior of bandgap energy in polymer nanocomposite films, 53 this model did not adequately fit (PANI‐CSA)/GO nanocomposite films with GO volume fractions above the percolation threshold. Therefore, it is evident that the bandgap energy of the nanocomposite films is directly influenced by electron tunneling between GO particles dispersed throughout the PANI‐CSA matrix.…”