Characteristics of nanocomposite films deposited by atmospheric pressure uniform RF glow plasma

Characteristics of nanocomposite films synthesized and deposited by atmospheric pressure Radio-Frequency (RF) (13.56 MHz) uniform glow discharge are examined. The nanocomposite thin film deposition is carried out in the presence of titanium dioxide (TiO2) with polymerization of pyrrole, thiophene and furan monomers in acetonitrile medium containing lithium perchlorate (LiClO4). The chemical, morphological, thermal and electrical characteristics of polypyrrole/TiO2 (PPy/TiO2), polythiophene/TiO2 (PT/TiO2) and polyfuran/TiO2 (PF/TiO2) composites are examined by FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetry (TGA) and four-probe conductivity measurements. The presence of PT bands in the FTIR spectra of PT/TiO2 indicates that plasma polymerization did not cause thiophene ring opening as was reported in the literature. The thermograms indicate that the PPy/TiO2 composite has the best thermal stability, whereas PT/TiO2 has the best electrical conductivity. Morphology studies reveal that the composite film deposition occurs uniformly through polymerization of the monomer onto TiO2 nanoparticles.