Synthesis, magnetic, optical, and electrical transport properties of the nanocomposites of polyaniline with some rare earth chlorides

Abstract

Nanocomposites of polyaniline with some rare earth chlorides like neodymium chloride, europium chloride, and dysprosium chloride were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. Morphological, structural, thermal, optical, magnetic, and electrical properties of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope, x-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analyzer, differentiating scanning calorimeter, optical absorption spectroscopy, room temperature magnetic susceptibility measurement, and low temperature electrical transport measurement. Nanocomposites were thermally more stable than pure polyaniline and they were more crystalline than pure polyaniline. Magnetic susceptibilities of the samples were field dependent. Three-dimensional variable range hopping charge transport mechanism was followed by the samples. The dc magnetoconductivity of the composites can be explained in terms of forward interference effect and wave function shrinkage effect. dc conductivity of Europium chloride-polyaniline composite shows a transition from forward interference model to wave function shrinkage model. Ac conductivity of the investigated samples can be explained in terms of correlated barrier hopping model. Permittivity of the sample is dominated by the grain boundary behavior in low frequency and by the grain phase in the high frequency and frequency dependence of real part of impedance is explained by Maxwell–Wagner capacitor model.