Electrical Characterization and Sensor Studies of Conducting Polymer Composites

Abstract

This thesis deals with the synthesis, properties and applications of various conducting polymer-based composites for sensing applications. Among the various conducting polymers, polyaniline has been chosen here for its ease of synthesis, processability and its unique conducting behaviour along with its stability. Ever since there is an increasing demand for the controlled humid environments, there in accelerated the fabrication, design of humidity sensors and search for the novel humidity sensing materials with simple functioning. There have been several efforts to develop stable, efficient, low-cost and simple humidity and gas sensors. Present thesis deals with the various aspects of developing humidity sensors based on polyaniline transition metal dichalcogenides and a rare earth oxide along with their AC conductivity, impedance and dielectric properties on the background of a suitable theoretical model. Thesis is divided into six chapters, wherein Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Materials and Methods, Chapter 3 Characterization, Chapter 4 AC Conductivity, Chapter 5 Humidity Sensing and Chapter 6 Summary and Conclusions. newlineChapter 1 Introduction: Gives an overview of the conducting polymers and their composites filed. It briefly highlights the properties of intrinsic conducting polymers, doping of conducting polymers and its significance, well known examples of conducting polymers along with their structures and their applications. Introduction to polyaniline (PANI), its different forms, their properties and conductivity mechanism are discussed in a nut shell. Literature survey of various kinds of PANI composites and their electrical, electrochemical, electromagnetic, electromechanical applications in the recent past has been done extensively, giving due importance to the types of composites. PANI composites with metals, metalloids, nonmetals, transition metal oxides, rare-earth and poor metal oxides, bimetal oxides, carbon allotropes and polymer blends all have been discussed relevant to our work. Also, highlights