Ni Ion-Induced Optical, Structural, and Electrical Properties of Polyaniline/Polyvinyl Chloride Composites

Thin films of polyaniline/polyvinyl chloride (PANI/PVC) composites synthesized and irradiated with a nickel ion (Ni7+) beam using flux of 3.125x10(9) particles/cm(2)/s and fluence ranging between 3x10(11) and 1x10(13) particles/cm(2) were investigated with respect to their optical, structural, and electrical properties. The photoluminescence (PL) analysis showed that swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation caused the creation of new color centers, which were diminished at greater fluence. With irradiation, both the direct and indirect band gaps decreased, making the materials more conducive to conduction. However, the direct band gap was smaller than the indirect band gap. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed that the aromatic nature of PANI was not disturbed by SHI irradiation. The variation in capacitance with frequency indicated that the material can be used for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and the shielding properties are modified by ion irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that irradiation of the polymer with Ni7+ leads to chain scissoring and cluster formation, whereas at higher fluence, smaller parts are rearranged to form micro-clusters.