Zinc Oxide Lab Report

Mechanism of DC Conductivity measurement of Zinc Oxide doped Polyaniline Nanocomposites

Sharanabasamma M Ambalagi*, Hajeebaba K Inamdar and Basavaraja Sannakki*

Department of Post graduate and Research in Physics Gulbarga University Kalaburagi.585106

Karnataka, India.

*Author of Correspondence Email id: [e-mail] [e-mail],

Abstract:

In the present study, Zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method.

Polyaniline/Zinc oxide (PANI-ZnO) nanocomposites were synthesized by the process of in-

situ polymerization by using various weight percentage of nanoparticles of Zinc oxide say

10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%. The samples of nanocomposites were characterized by

powder

The compound was grinded well and

calcinated for 2 hour to remove impurities. Finally, pure zinc oxide nanoparticles were

obtained.

2.1 Synthesis of Polyaniline/ZnO Nanocomposites

Synthesis of the PANI/Zinc Oxide nanocomposites was carried out by in-situ polymerization

method. Aniline (0.1 M) was mixed in 1 M HCl and stirred for 15 minute to form aniline

hydrochloride. The nanoparticles of Zinc oxide at 10 wt% were added in the above solution

with vigorous stirring in order to get the homogeneously suspended Zinc oxide nanoparticles

in the solution. Further slowly added 0.1 M of ammonium persulphate drop-wise which acts

as an oxidizer with continuous stirring to this solution. The temperature was maintained at

4oC by keeping in the ice for 4 hours for polymerizing completely. Then the precipitate was

filtered, washed with deionized water, acetone and finally dried in an hot air oven for 24

hours. Similarly PANI/ZnO Nanocomposites at different weigh percentages, that is 20%,

30%, 40% and 50 wt% could be synthesized.

2.2 Preparation of pellets

The powders of Polyaniline, Polyaniline/Zinc Oxide nanocomposites, so obtained

dc

(S

/c

m

)

Temprature (oC)

pani 10wt% 20wt% 30wt% 40wt% 50wt%

Fig 4.3: Shows Electrical Conductivity of Pure PANI and PANI-ZnO Nanocomposites.

The inter chain and inter chain hopping depends on conjugation length. It is observed in

many conducting polymer systems that as the chain length increases, conductivity increases

and the temperature dependence of conductivity becomes weaker. The conductivity varies

directly with the temperature, obeying an expression of the following form

1/4

( ) exp oo

TT

T

? ?

? ?? ?

? ?? ?? ?

? ?? ?? ?

Where: ? is the conductivity, T is the temperature and ?0 is the conductivity at characteristic temperature T0. The Mott Theory type temperature dependence can also result from the effect

of finite conjugation length on the frequency of nearest neighbor inter chain hopping. The

nearest neighbor hopping process with a distribution of activation energies can give same

type of exponential temperature dependence for conductivity. It is observed that the

conductivity values increase up to 50 wt % of ZnO in Polyaniline. This is attributed due to

extended chain length of Polyaniline which facilitate the hopping of charge carriers when