Investigation of polyurethane graphene and chitosan silver graphene nanocomposites using small angle neutron scattering and broadband dielectric spectroscopy

Abstract

Creation of solid polymer electrolytes is necessary for battery technology. Nanoparticles are commonly utilised as fillers in solid polymer electrolytes. Metals as fillers in polymer nanocomposites have drawbacks, such as aggregation and precipitation, which limit their use. In this case, it would be more cost-effective to employ less amount of metals. Additionally, graphene may be used to increase conductivity. To solve this challenge, chitosan-graphene-silver nitrate films were created and analysed. Dielectric study revealed that when graphene concentration increases, a negative dielectric constant emerges. The dielectric constant of chitosan graphene samples was enhanced by adding a small amount (1mM) of AgNO3, but it retained the Meta composite character (negative dielectric constant) with increasing concentrations of graphene (20 and 30 percent). When 30% graphene-1mM AgNO3 is added in chitosan films, the conductivity may be improved by 8.6 x 105 times. It is also been discovered that adding 1mM AgNO3 to chitosan-20% graphene enhances its conductivity to a level equivalent to chitosan-30% graphene. This shows that 1mM AgNO3 might be added to polymer graphene composites to minimise high graphene loading concentrations. Also, because 1mM AgNO3 has a lower weight, light weight composites may be obtained. In the chitosan films, graphene assembles as fractals, according to SANS analysis, and the presence of silver nitrate affects the assembly of graphene as well. newline