Optical and electrical properties of polyethylene oxide‐poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/NiZnFeO4 NPs nanocomposite films

Abstract

AbstractPolyethylene oxide‐poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEO‐PEDOT) nanocomposite films ‐ incorporated with nanoparticles () were deposited using a dip‐coating technique. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed peaks at 35.4, 43.2, 54.5, and 56.3° diffraction angles, corresponding to diffraction planes of , , , and , respectively. The PEO‐PEDOT film exhibited a smooth amorphous nature with a sheet nanostructure behavior. The incorporation of NPs into the PEO‐PEDOT nanocomposite films led to an increase in surface roughness and thermal stability. The nanocomposite films also exhibited sheet nanostructure behavior as observed by SEM micrographs. The bandgap energies of the films, as deduced from the Tauc plot, exhibited a monotonic decrease from 3.91 to 3.60 eV as the concentration increased from 0 to 8 wt%. A mathematical model was formulated to predict the bandgap energies versus concentration. Additionally, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite films increased monotonically from 0.46 to 1.30 mS cm−1 as the concentration increased from 0 to 8 wt%, as determined by 4‐point probe. The observed correlation between the optical and electrical properties of the nanocomposite films indicates promising prospects for utilizing these materials in optoelectronic devices.