β-Phase Cu-Phthalocyanine/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Terpolymer Nanocomposite Film Technology for Organoelectronic Applications

To investigate electronic properties, such as dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss, conductivity, capacitance, and Nyquist plots, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and beta-CuPc (10-40 wt % of beta-CuPc) formulation was utilized to fabricate nanocomposite films via the cost-effective solution processing technique. Cross-sectional morphological investigations were performed for the developed composites with the aid of Field emission scanning electron microscopy microscopy; the result suggested that the modified cross-sectional surface morphology was due to the addition of the beta-CuPc compound. Further, the interactions attributable phase groups of the polymer with the beta-CuPc compound were studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The UV-vis spectroscopy result suggested that the absorption peak at 380 nm belongs to pi-pi* transition, which corresponds to intense B-band (Soret band) of Cu-Phthalocyanine ring, which significantly instigates the electronic conduction mechanism. Further, to understand the electronic properties, a broad-band impedance analyzer was utilized, wherein dielectric permittivity at <10 Hz was found to attribute due to the Maxwell Wagner Sillars polarization mechanism. Subsequently, frequency-dependent permittivity (10(3)-10(7) Hz) was comprehended by the dipole polarization mechanism. The realization of composite's permittivity increment from 4.6 to 5.1 at 107 Hz was due to the oriental resonance phenomena. Moreover, a composite with a maximum conductivity (sigma(Ac)) of 2.1 x 10(-6) S/cm was observed, which is attributable to the pi-pi* transition (380 nm), as evidenced by UV-vis spectra. Although the composite reveals higher conductivity, at higher frequency, low loss characteristics (>10 MHz similar to 0.049) were observed of beta-CuPc/ABS. These low loss characteristics are a remarkable outcome of nanocomposites at MHz frequencies. Therefore, the authors believe that these nanocomposite films fabricated via the cost-effective solvent cast film technology could facilitate to develop organoelectronic components or devices.