Structural, Dielectric and Electric Modulus Studies of MnFe2O4/(MWCNTs)x Nanocomposites

Nanocomposites of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and manganese ferrites (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles (i.e., MnFe2O4/(MWCNTs)(x); x = 0 similar to 20 wt.% nanocomposites) were synthesized using two-step synthesis process. Initially, MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method and, at second stage, different weight percentages (wt.%) of MWCNTs were added and mixed by ultra-sonication assisted method to get the desired MnFe2O4/(MWCNTs)(x) nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was used to investigate the crystal structure and phase purity of MnFe2O4/(MWCNTs)(x) nanocomposites. The accumulation of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNTs was examined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The elemental composition of these nanocomposites was determined with the aid of energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed for the estimation of different vibrational modes. The frequency-dependent dielectric measurements were conducted at room temperature with the help of LCR meter. The improved dielectric and modulus properties of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with increasing MWCNTs contents signified the importance of these MnFe2O4/(MWCNTs)(x) nanocomposites for different energy storage applications.