ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

An electrochemical impedance study of core/shell nanocomposites containing MFe₂O₄@P(Pyrrole-co-o-toluidine)

Dina F. Katowah, A. Timoumi, Gharam I. Mohammed, and Mahmoud A. Hussein

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

E-mail: dfkatoaah@hotmail.com

Received: 20 November 2021  Accepted: 14 May 2022

Abstract:

We report a synthesis of interesting nanocomposites (NCs) formed by copolymer poly (pyrrole-co-o-toluidine) (P(Py-co-OT)) and spinel ferrite MFe₂O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) (M = Mg, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) and examine how various ferrites affect properties. The synthesis of MFe₂O₄@P(Py-co-OT) NCs was done at fixed percentage (20%) of different MFe₂O₄ NPs, whereas MFe₂O₄ NPs were synthesized by an egg-white method. P(Py-co-OT) and MFe₂O₄@P(Py-co-OT) NCs’ structural, morphological, thermal, and electrical properties involving Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA–DTG), four-probe resistivity instrument, and a computer-controlled impedance analyser were measured. FTIR and XRD results confirmed how MFe₂O₄@P(Py-co-OT) NCs were formed and MFe₂O₄ showed a spinel structure. Notably, the structural properties indicated NCs’ core–shell structure. The analysis of TGA–DTG presented that NCs’ thermal stability was improved by CoFe₂O₄ and NiFe₂O₄ NPs. The ac conductivity gauged as a temperature function showed that NiFe₂O₄ NPs improved the conductivity of NCs. The dielectric was measured as a frequency function, and the result indicated that the electrical conductivity is thermally activated with special attention to the Ni substituent in the form of NiFe₂O₄@P(Py-co-OT).

Keywords: Copolymer Poly(Py-co-OT); MFe2O4; Core–shell; Electrical properties; Thermal properties; Electrochemical impedance

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02281-2

Chemical Papers 76 (9) 5705–5719 (2022)