Inorganic nanofillers TiO2 nanoparticles reinforced host polymer polypyrrole for microelectronic devices and high-density energy storage systems

The pure polymer polypyrrole (PPy) was employed as the host material for the solution casting fabrication of nanocomposite films reinforced with different concentrations of tetragonal titanium dioxide nanoparticles (less than 45 nm in particle size). Nanocomposite films were characterized by utilizing FTIR, XRD, SEM, UV–Vis spectroscopy and AC measurements to study their structural, optical, morphological, electrical and dielectric properties. X-ray diffraction and FTIR analysis confirmed the enhanced amorphous regions of the PPy structure and the presence of coordination and hydrogen bonds in the prepared films. SEM was utilized to investigate the surface of the synthesized samples. As evidenced by the UV–visible spectra, optical analysis revealed that the absorbance of the prepared samples had increased substantially due to the addition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The energy gap of the prepared samples reduced from 4.71 eV to 3.75 eV for the indirect transition as the concentration of TiO2 NPs increased. At room temperature, the inclusion of TiO2 NPs enhanced the ionic conductivity of PPy/TiO2 nanocomposites to a maximum of 4.12 × 10− 8 S/c. We also evaluated the dielectric properties of nanocomposite films, including dielectric permittivity. The parameters may be modified to produce interesting biodegradable polymer nanodielectrics by incorporating TiO2 to pure polymers. These films possess interfacial polarization, which has a confirmed relaxation process and dominating effect. These results indicate that these nanocomposites are suitable for a variety of applications, such as flexible capacitors, battery separators, and high-density energy storage systems.