Electrical characterization of PVA-based nanocomposite electrolyte nanofibre mats doped with a multiwalled carbon nanotube

An attempt has been made to prepare and characterise ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN) salt and a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT)-doped polyvinyl alcohol-based nanofibre mats using an electrospinning process. The X-ray diffraction result shows an improvement in the amorphous nature of composite electrolyte fibre mats with increasing concentrations of the MWNT filler. The DSC behaviour of these nanofibre mat exhibits better thermal response upon dispersal of the filler. Composite electrolyte nanofibre mat doped with 6 wt% MWNT shows optimum conductivity, viz., 5.8 x 10(-4) Scm(-1). The temperature dependence of the bulk electrical conductivity displays a combination of Arrhenius and Vogel-Tammam-Fulcher nature. Dielectric loss studies have also been used to understand the conduction process in the system. Jonscher power law seems to be obeyed during ac conductivity measurements of the fibre mats.