Temperature-Dependent Studies on Electrical Properties of ZnCl₂ Doped Polyaniline

Polyaniline (PANI) and PANI/ZnCl₂ composites were synthesized by chemical method and characterized by FTIR and SEM to confirm the formation of the composite. DC Current–Voltage and temperature-dependent electrical properties have been studied to explore the conduction mechanism. FTIR spectra of PANI showed all standard peaks and PANI/ZnCl₂ sample showed peaks with a slight shift in wavelength position. SEM image of pure PANI illustrated as a cauliflower-like structure of around 20 μm whereas PANI/ZnCl₂ confirms the encapsulation of ZnCl₂ particles in the PANI matrix. The electrical conductivity of both the samples decreased concerning a decrease in temperature. Activation energy for both PANI (0.52 eV) and PANI/ZnCl₂ (0.38 eV) composites was also calculated. Therefore, it is indicated that the presence of ZnCl₂ in the PANI matrix reduces the activation energy. Hence, ZnCl₂ doped PANI is best suitable for semiconductor device applications.