Alternating current conduction studies of hybrid nanocomposite at room temperature

Abstract

Polyaniline (PANI) and polyaniline-yttrium oxide (PANI-Y2O3) hybrid nanocomposite were synthesised separately by simple chemical polymerisation method and then they were structurally characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The alternate current (AC) conduction parameters of PANI and the nanocomposite were comparatively studied in the frequency range 100 Hz-1 MHz at room temperature. The AC conduction results were interpreted as power law of frequency and the frequency exponent s was found to lie in the range 0 < s < 1. Decrease in ac conductivity of the nanocomposite as compared to pristine PANI because of decreased delocalisation of electronic states in the band gap of the nanocomposite due to the presence of Y2O3 in it was observed.