Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and electrical investigation of poly(para-phenylenediamine)/vanadium oxide nanocomposite nanosheets

Sheet-like mesoporous poly(paraphenylenediamine)/vanadium oxide nanocomposite has been synthesized by the hydrothermal process using the vanadium oxide V2O5 as inorganic precursor and paraphenylendiamine as reducing and a structure-directing agent. Such techniques as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms (BET) have been used to characterize the structure, morphology and the texture of the material. The conductivity of the material was measured by complex impedance spectroscopy which increases from 72 × 10−5 Ω−1 cm−1 at 298 K to 95 × 10−4 Ω−1 cm−1 at 493 K. The Arrhenius diagram is not linear, it presents a rupture situated at 407 K and the activation energies’ average values are 0.044 eV and 0.13 eV.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Sheet-like PpPD/vanadium oxide nanocomposite was synthesized. ► Electrical and dielectric properties were studied. ► Conductivity increases from 72 × 10−5 Ω−1 cm−1 at 298 K to 95 × 10−4 Ω−1 cm−1 at 493 K.