Tunable band gap and ionic conductivity in PMMA and PANI blend with WO₃ nanocomposites for optoelectronics and energy storage devices
Ahlam I. Al‐Sulami, Nuha Y. Elamin, Eman Aldosari, M. O. Farea, Soad S. Alzahrani, Amani M. Al‐Harthi, Ebtesam M. Alharbi, A. Rajeh
Abstract
This work presents PMMA/PANI–WO₃ nanocomposites with tunable optical and electrical properties, designed for optoelectronic and energy storage applications. The novelty of this study lies in the incorporation of WO₃ nanoparticles into a PMMA/PANI blend, enabling a simultaneous enhancement of dielectric behavior, ionic conductivity, and optical response. XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed reduced crystallinity and strong polymer–filler interactions. Optical studies revealed a notable decrease in the band gap from 3.80 eV for pure PMMA/PANI to 3.18 eV at the highest WO₃ loading, accompanied by improved refractive index. Thermal analysis demonstrated enhanced stability, while impedance spectroscopy showed an increase in ionic conductivity by nearly three orders of magnitude (10⁻⁸ → 10 −5 S cm⁻ 1 ), along with a higher dielectric constant, attributed to interfacial polarization and improved charge mobility. These results establish WO₃ as an effective nanofiller for tailoring multifunctional properties in polymer composites, making the developed materials promising candidates for flexible optoelectronic devices, supercapacitors, and advanced energy storage systems.