Temperature-dependent charge transport in TiO2-multiwalled carbon nanotube composites

Charge transport properties of TiO2-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were investigated. The TiO2-MWCNT composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering of a mixture of TiO2 nanoparticles and MWCNTs. Temperature-dependent electrical conductivities of the composites reveal that the percolation threshold for the MWCNT network is affected by temperature, and that the activation process for electron hopping is also influenced by the percolation. Based on this interdependence, an integrated charge transport model, including both the effects of the percolation and the electron hopping, is proposed for this system.