Effect of titanium dioxide on the structural, thermal, and electrical properties of chlorinated natural rubber/poly (indole) blend nanocomposites for flexible nanoelectronic devices

Abstract

AbstractThe synthesis of highly flexible conductive rubber blend nanocomposites using a conductive polymer with metal oxide is a new and promising approach. In this work, the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the performance of chlorinated natural rubber/polyindole (Cl‐NR/PIN) blend nanocomposites was systematically studied. Fourier‐transform infrared spectra revealed the successful incorporation of nanoparticles in the blend system. UV analysis assessed the increased absorption spectra of the nanocomposite compared to the pure blend. The X‐ray diffraction confirms the presence of TiO2 nanostructure in the blend. The high resolution transmission electron microscope results exhibited the uniform dispersion of TiO2 in the blend. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis show the increased glass transition temperature and thermal stability of the blend nanocomposite with an increase in TiO2 concentration. The linear low‐frequency AC conductivity demonstrated the occurrence of electrode polarization and the exponential increase in AC conductivity after a threshold frequency illustrated the semiconducting behavior of the composites. The maximum dielectric constant and AC conductivity were measured for the composite with 5 wt% filler loading, as the threshold level for the maximum interfacial contact. The hopping conduction, activation energy, improved conductivity and dielectric properties suggest that these blend nanocomposite films are promising candidates for the development of flexible energy storage devices.