Effect of Nano-Ce-Doped TiO2 on AC Conductivity and DC Conductivity Modeling Studies of Poly (n-Butyl Methacrylate)

Abstract

Among the unique properties of polymer nanocomposites, electrical conductivity deserves a prominent place due to their wide applications in conducting adhesive, electromagnetic shielding and sensors. The present work focuses on the effect of cerium-doped titanium dioxide (Ce-TiO₂) nanoparticles on the conductivity studies of poly (n-butyl methacrylate), or PBMA, nanocomposites at different temperatures. The frequency-dependent alternating current (AC) electrical conductivity of PBMA/Ce-TiO₂ nanocomposites has been found to increase with increase in temperature and the concentration of Ce-TiO₂ nanoparticles. The activation energy calculated from the AC electrical conductivity has been found to decrease with frequency and increasing temperatures. The frequency exponent factor also showed a decrease with frequency, indicating the hopping conduction in the nanocomposites. The maximum AC conductivity has been observed for the composites with 7 wt.% sample. The direct current (DC) conductivity of PBMA/Ce-TiO₂ composites was also enhanced with the addition of Ce-TiO₂ nanoparticles. Experimental and theoretical investigations based on Scarisbrick, Bueche, McCullough and Mamunya modeling were undertaken to understand the observed DC conductivity differences induced by the addition of Ce-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles to PBMA matrix. The experimental conductivity showed good agreement with the theoretical conductivity observed using the Mamunya model.