Studies on Structural Electrical and Dielectric Properties of Metal Oxides Doped Chitosan Polyaniline Nanocomposites

Abstract

The increase in environmental pollution and decrease in fossil fuels prompted the development of sustainable and renewable alternative energy resources while focusing on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Researchers are keen on developing novel materials that may be utilized in electrocatalytic devices, switchable membranes, anticorrosive coatings, sensors, energy storage and conversion systems. Doped polyaniline (PANI), a conjugate conducting polymer, is one of the most studied materials appropriate for use in these areas because of its affordability, ease of synthesis, functional group content, high environmental, thermal and electrochemical stability, tunable conductivity through doping, room temperature operation and intriguing electrical and optical properties. PANI has wide applications, such as in rechargeable batteries, as a matrix for conducting polymer nanocomposites, gas-separation membranes, sensors, corrosion protection of metals and supercapacitors. Unfortunately, its weak solubility in most organic solvents, poor mechanical characteristics and low processability limit its potential applications. There are several ways that these issues have been minimized. For instance, the use of various synthesis techniques, the incorporation of processable polymer material, the use of polar functional groups, the design of novel PANI nanofibers and the addition of new functional groups have all improved the properties of polyaniline. newlineChitosan is an abundant natural biopolymer that is derived by deacetylating chitin. It is regarded as hydrophilic, biocompatible, moldable, biodegradable, nontoxic, affordable, renewable and effective as an absorbent due to the presence of reactive hydroxyl and amino functional groups. These properties encourage its use in a variety of applications, including the pharmaceutical sector, food manufacturing, waste-water treatments, plant breeding, separation membranes, drug delivery systems, biosensors and chemical engineering. Chitosan is a poor conductor and has poor stabilit