Enhanced Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Polymer Composites Induced by <scp> CoFe <sub>2</sub> O <sub>4</sub> /MWCNTs </scp> Nanohybrids
Ahlam I. Al‐Sulami, Nuha Y. Elamin, Eman Aldosari, Yasmeen G. Abou El‐Reash, M. O. Farea, E. M. Abdelrazek, A. Rajeh
Abstract
ABSTRACT Flexible PAM/NA–CoFe 2 O 4 /MWCNTs nanocomposite films were prepared by the casting method with different nanofiller loadings (0.5–2.0 wt.%). Structural, optical, and electrical characterizations were performed to evaluate the influence of the CoFe 2 O 4 /MWCNTs nanohybrid on the polymer blend matrix. XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of the nanofillers, revealing strong interfacial interaction between the polymeric chains and the embedded nanoparticles. UV–Vis. spectral analysis demonstrated increased optical absorbance and a notable reduction in both direct and indirect bandgap energies with increasing filler content, attributed to the formation of localized defect states and improved electronic polarization. Dielectric and AC conductivity studies indicated a remarkable increase in conductivity and dielectric constant upon nanofiller addition, with conduction following the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) mechanism. Electric modulus and Argand plot analyses evidenced non‐Debye relaxation behavior, reduced charge transfer resistance, and faster ionic relaxation at higher CoFe 2 O 4 /MWCNTs concentrations. The results collectively suggest that the developed PAM/NA–CoFe 2 O 4 /MWCNTs nanocomposites possess superior dielectric and charge transport characteristics.