Optical Property Enhancement of Silica-Modified Polyaniline Grown on Glass Substrate via Incorporation of Zinc Sulfide into the Polymer Matrix

Abstract

Growth of zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanostructures on silica modified-polyaniline (SM-PAni) with polymerization time-dependent was prepared using chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The grown samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. SEM images revealed some voids in the nanocomposites. The average diameter of the grown ZnS nanospheres did not significantly change by changing the growth time of the polyaniline. FTIR spectra and UV-Vis absorption spectra revealed the partial transformation of emeraldine salt polyaniline into emeraldine base PAni due to the deprotonation triggered during CBD for the synthesis of ZnS nanostructures. Furthermore, UV-Vis absorption spectra reveal synergistic effect of the absorption bands of both polyaniline and ZnS nanostructures. This synergistic effect results to the enhancement in the optical property of the fabricated nanocomposite which is an essential property in optoelectronics and solar cell application.