EPR investigations of silicon carbide nanoparticles functionalized by acid doped polyaniline

Nanocomposites (SiC-PANI) based on silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiC) encapsulated in conducting polyaniline (PANI) are synthesized by direct polymerization of PANI on the nanoparticle surfaces. The conductivity of PANI and the nanocomposites was modulated by several doping levels of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigations were carried out on representative SiC-PANI samples over the temperature range [100-300 K]. The features of the EPR spectra were analyzed taking into account the paramagnetic species such as polarons with spin S=1/2 involved in two main environments realized in the composites as well as their thermal activation. A critical temperature range 200-225 K was revealed through crossover changes in the thermal behavior of the EPR spectral parameters. Insights on the electronic transport properties and their thermal evolutions were inferred from polarons species probed by EPR and the electrical conductivity in doped nanocomposites.