Biomimetic synthesis and characterization of semiconducting hybrid organic-inorganic composite materials based on polyaniline-polyethylene glycol-CdS system

Triple hybrid materials based on polyaniline-polyethylene glycol and cadmium sulphide have been prepared by the duffusion-limited biomimetic route and characterized by a number of spectroscopic, XRD, SEM, thermal and electrical measurements. These hybrid materials have been prepared by controlled precipitation of cadmium sulphide by passing H₂S gas and mixing the resultant colloid with the acidic solution of aniline. In situ polymerization of adsorbed anilinium ions on anionic surface of CdS resulted in hybrids. Water-soluble polyethylene glycol led to diffusion-limited growth of polyaniline and CdS resulting in a nanosized hybrid material as indicated by UV-visible spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). AC impedance spectroscopic studies on binary and ternary nanocomposites of polyaniline with polyethylene glycol and cadmium sulphide separately and triple hybrid system have been reported. Equivalent circuits were determined and discussed in the light of contributions made from different sources such as grain, grain boundary and electrode.