Synthesis and study of r-GO/polyaniline composite and design estimation for THz applications

This study investigates the effect of varying amounts of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the optical direct band gap of Polyaniline (PANI). The rGO/PANI composites (5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, and 20 mg) were synthesized via in-situ polymerization. SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV-visible spectroscopy were employed to assess morphology, crystallinity, structure, and optical properties, respectively, and the Tauc-plot method to calculate band gaps. Results reveal strong interaction between rGO surface and PANI's quinoid rings. Electrical properties show significant enhancement, with the 20 mg rGO/PANI sample achieving conductivity of 1.3989 × 10 4 S/m and sheet resistance of 3.5742 × 10 2 Ω/sq. Band gap decreases from 4.17 eV (PANI) to 2.70 eV (20 mg rGO/PANI). The results were used to estimate the material suitability and design that can be used for terahertz study.