Optical characteristics and effective Schottky barrier of polyaniline

(PANI) film doped with dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid (DBSA)

Sanjib Kumar Baglari and D. Sarkar*
Department of Physics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam 781014
Email: sanjibbaglari@gmail.com
*Email: sarkardeepali@gmail.com
Abstract: Conducting polymers show large range of modulation of electrical
conductivity on doping(oxidation) and dedoping(reduction) cycle due to contribution
of protonic conduction. This has been used in various fields for this astonishing
property. In this communication, we report studies on optical characteristics of
polyaniline film and metal-polyaniline (PANI) Schottky barrier junction and the effect
of junction property on DBSA doping. PANI has been synthesized by the most
conventional chemical polymerization methods using ammonium persulphate (APS)
as oxidizing agent. Three different concentrations of DBSA, viz, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 M/M,
are used during polymerization process. DBSA is known as a dopant as well as
surfactant. The optical band gap of PANI film as estimated from UV-visible spectra
absorption data has been found within the range 2.1-2.4eV. A Schottky junction with
configuration Ag/PANI-DBSA/ITO has been fabricated by coating of PANI-DBSA
on ITO and then taking Ag contact on to it. Current density-voltage (J-V)
characteristics of this junction show rectifying behavior. Junction parameter such as
barrier height, ideality factor has been calculated from J-V curves shows decrease of
barrier height and increase of ideality factor with increasing concentration of DBSA.

Keywords:

Polyaniline, optical properties, schottky barrier, ideal factor