Gopika R, Arun K, Ramesan M T
Centre for Polymer Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O., Malappuram, Kerala 673 635, India.
Langmuir. 2024 Apr 16;40(15):8046-8058. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c04001. Epub 2024 Apr 8.
In this study, silicon carbide (SiC)-reinforced polyindole (PIn) nanocomposites were prepared by a simple in situ polymerization method. The successful reinforcement of the nanofiller within the host matrix was characterized using different analytical techniques. The chemical bonding of SiC in the polymer was identified by the characteristic peak around 800 cm using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The increment in intensity of the absorption and enhanced crystallinity of the samples upon the addition of nanofillers were analyzed using UV-vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared specimens showed reduced optical bandgap energy (3.188 eV) and Urbach energy (2.315 meV) with an improved refractive index (2.348). The effect of nanoparticles on the surface morphology of the nanocomposites was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a uniform dispersion of fillers in the matrix was found for PInSiC7. A high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed the shape and average particle size of the sample. X-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements confirmed the formation of the nanocomposite by exhibiting the presence of all elements in the corresponding spectra. The thermal stability and glass transition temperature of the nanocomposites were significantly improved with the addition of SiC. The temperature-dependent AC conductivity, dielectric parameters, complex impedance, and electrical modulus were also evaluated using an impedance analyzer. The increased electrical characteristics of the PInSiC7 sample can be attributed to the uniform spread and strong synergetic interaction of SiC with PIn. The results thus showcased the potential of the samples for use in optical and energy storage applications. This study was also extended to understand the ammonia sensing properties, which make it possible to design and develop gas sensors using the PInSiC nanocomposites.
在本研究中，采用简单的原位聚合法制备了碳化硅（SiC）增强聚吲哚（PIn）纳米复合材料。使用不同的分析技术对纳米填料在主体基质中的成功增强进行了表征。通过傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）在800 cm左右的特征峰确定了聚合物中SiC的化学键合。使用紫外可见光谱和X射线衍射（XRD）分析了添加纳米填料后样品吸收强度的增加和结晶度的提高。制备的样品显示出降低的光学带隙能量（3.188 eV）和乌尔巴赫能量（2.315 meV）以及提高的折射率（2.348）。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）研究了纳米颗粒对纳米复合材料表面形态的影响，发现PInSiC7中填料在基质中均匀分散。高分辨率透射电子显微镜（HR-TEM）揭示了样品的形状和平均粒径。X射线电子能谱（XPS）测量通过在相应光谱中显示所有元素的存在证实了纳米复合材料的形成。添加SiC后，纳米复合材料的热稳定性和玻璃化转变温度显著提高。还使用阻抗分析仪评估了随温度变化的交流电导率、介电参数、复阻抗和电模量。PInSiC7样品电学特性的提高可归因于SiC与PIn的均匀分布和强烈的协同相互作用。因此，结果展示了样品在光学和能量存储应用中的潜力。本研究还扩展到了解氨传感特性，这使得使用PInSiC纳米复合材料设计和开发气体传感器成为可能。
