Synthesis, characterization and dielectric investigation of ZnO-doped polyaniline nanocomposites

Abstract

Polyaniline (PANI) synthesized through the in situ polymerization method and its composites with zinc oxide nanoparticles loaded in various weight percentages were studied. The formation of PANI and its composites was characterized using different characterizing tools, and detailed analysis was done to investigate the structural and morphological properties of the composites. The presence of the vibration band of the metal oxide and other characteristic bands of the composites, as characterized via Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, confirmed the synthesis of the polymer nanocomposites. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the nanocomposites revealed their polycrystalline nature. The dielectric responses of PANI and the ZnO-doped PANI composites were investigated within the frequency range of 20 Hz to 1 MHz. The dielectric constant of the ZnO-doped PANI composite was found to be higher than that of the pure PANI. The value of the dielectric constant decreased with increasing frequency, and it became constant at higher frequencies, which is attributed to the interfacial polarization.