Engineering polyaniline's structural order and electrical properties through nanocrystalline NiCo2O4 doping

Abstract

This research work focuses on improving the ordered backbone structure along with electrical properties of Polyaniline (PANI) through doping with nano-crystalline Nickel Cobaltite (NiCo2O4). Comprehensive characterization, including XRD, SEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy, confirmed the successful synthesis of urchin-like nano-crystalline NiCo2O4 and PANI. Traditionally, increasing PANI's structural orderliness has been reported to compromise conductivity. This study introduces a viable non-confinement route where inorganic ceramic oxide nanoparticles actively trigger chain unfolding in amorphous sections of PANI structure. This mechanism effectively converts disordered polymer domains into a more regular, ordered structure, significantly enhancing conductivity and overall dielectric response especially in low frequency range. This chain unfolding process is also observed to have a limit after which any further addition of dopant increases heterogeneity and compromises conductivity. This work provides with key-insights into tailoring PANI structure for advanced applications as next generation functional materials.