Exploring the effects of ultra-low loading level of silver oxide nanoparticles on the dielectric, I-V characteristics and optical energy band gap of thermoplastic polyurethane and poly-aniline blend nanocomposites

Abstract

This study deals with the exploration of ultra-low loading levels of Silver oxide (Ag2O) nanoparticles on the materials properties such as dielectric, I-V characteristics, and optical energy band gap of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and Polyaniline (PANI) blend nanocomposites. The nanocomposites with varying loading levels of Ag2O nanoparticles have been fabricated using the most simplified solvent casting technique. The dispersion pattern of the Ag2O phase in the vicinity of the TPU and PANI Matric has been observed from the high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) analysis. The dielectric properties like dielectric permittivity(εʹ), AC conductivity (σac), Nyquist plot, etc., of the fabricated nanocomposites have been explored in a wide range of frequency of the applied electric field (1 -106Hz). The significant improvement in εʹ with a 3 wt% loading level of Ag2O is one of the outstanding findings of today’s research work. The obtained I-V characteristics indicate the formation of dielectric materials with pseudo-metallic behavior. The decrease in optical energy band gap with the addition of Ag2O ensures the suitability of the fabricated nanocomposites to be used in the construction of the solar cell. Dielectric properties ensure the suitability of the materials to be used in the construction of the buffer layer of solar cells and the fabrication of EMI shielding panels to be used in heavy electronics where radiation leakage is very frequent.