Abstract
In this report, the electrical properties of plasma polymer films functionalized with ZnO nanoparticles were investigated with respect to their potential applications in biomaterials and microelectronics fields. The nanocomposite films were produced using a single-step method that combines simultaneous plasma polymerization of renewable geranium essential oil with thermal decomposition of zinc acetylacetonate Zn(acac)2. The input power used for the deposition of composites were 10 W and 50 W, and the resulting composite structures were abbreviated as Zn/Ge 10 W and Zn/Ge 50 W, respectively. The electrical properties of pristine polymers and Zn/polymer composite films were studied in metal–insulator–metal structures. At a quantity of ZnO of around ~1%, it was found that ZnO had a small influence on the capacitance and dielectric constants of thus-fabricated films. The dielectric constant of films with smaller-sized nanoparticles exhibited the highest value, whereas, with the increase in ZnO particle size, the dielectric constant decreases. The conductivity of the composites was calculated to be in the in the range of 10−14–10−15 Ω−1 m−1, significantly greater than that for the pristine polymer, the latter estimated to be in the range of 10−16–10−17 Ω−1 m−1.
Highlights
Recent progress in material technologies have resulted in the development of a multitude of preparation approaches and potential applications for novel polymer–nanoparticle composite films.The properties of these composite materials are often superior to that of pristine polymer films, allowing them to display greater mechanical strength, high elastic modulus, large surface areas, enhanced density, and controlled optoelectronic properties [1,2]
We demonstrated that a significant antibacterial activity could be achieved by incorporating a low concentration (~1%) of zinc oxide nanoparticles into inherently antibacterial geranium thin films [13]
We investigated the electrical properties of ZnO/geranium polymer (Zn/Ge) films with the intention to design composite coatings, which are electrically insulating and biologically active, serving as a relevant material for encapsulation of microelectronic systems and implantable devices
Summary
Recent progress in material technologies have resulted in the development of a multitude of preparation approaches and potential applications for novel polymer–nanoparticle composite films. Metal/plasma polymer composite films have revealed interesting optical, electrical, and biological properties [3] These nanocomposites remarkably merge advantages of low-dimensional organic films with a great surface area of embedded nanoparticles, offering a wide range of possible applications [4,5]. Prominent examples include an artificial cardiac pacemaker, a battery-powered device that assists the heart in maintaining a regular rhythm, and other practical devices for sensing and drug delivery functions [8] As these implants require electrical power to operate, an insulating material is often used to prevent any electrical interference with adjacent bio-objects (e.g., muscles, bones, etc.) [9]. We investigated the electrical properties of ZnO/geranium polymer (Zn/Ge) films with the intention to design composite coatings, which are electrically insulating and biologically active, serving as a relevant material for encapsulation of microelectronic systems and implantable devices. The electrical characteristics of the fabricated ZnO/Ge composites were studied using percolation theories
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