Affiliation:
1. Department of Physics, Maharaja Agrasen University, Baddi 174103, HP India
2. Department of Physics, Government College Nadaun 177033, HP India
3. Department of Physics, Sardar Patel University
Mandi, Mandi 175001, HP India
Abstract
Objective:
In the present study, cupric sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized
in deionized (DIW) water using an eco-benign, simple, and cost-effective chemical route
that requires no surfactant or template.
Methods:
Polypyrrole/cupric sulfide (PPy/CuS) hybrid nanocomposite (HNC) was synthesized
using an in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization method in the presence of obtained CuS NPs.
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the hexagonal structure of CuS, whose crystalline
nature was preserved in the HNC. For CuS NPs and PPy/CuS HNC, elastic properties, such
as intrinsic microstrain, internal stress, dislocation density, strain energy density, stacking faults,
and intercrystalline separation, were used to analyze the crystal imperfections and distortions.
Results:
Field emission scanning electron spectroscopy (FESEM) micrographs revealed that CuS
NPs and PPy/CuS HNC have particulate and globular morphology, respectively. The values of
the average intrinsic strain, dislocation density, internal stresses, and strain energy density of
PPy/CuS HNC were estimated to be ~2 × 10-3, ~8.8166 × 1015 m-2, 164.263 MPa, and 127.278 KJ
m−3, respectively, which were observed to be higher than those of CuS NPs.
Conclusion:
The DC electrical conductivity of as-synthesized samples was measured at room
temperature in pelletized form, using the standard four-probe method, and conductivity values
were estimated to be ~480 Scm-1 and ~4 Scm-1 for CuS NPs and PPy/CuS HNC, respectively.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
General Materials Science