Electromagnetic analysis of semi‐interpenetrating polymer network of fullerene‐based polyacrylonitrile and polyaniline

Abstract A semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of fullerene‐based polyacrylonitrile and polyaniline is synthesized. The fabricated IPN is characterized by infrared spectroscopic technique, differential scanning calorimetric analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), conductivity analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopic techniques, transmission loss, complex permittivity, and permeability characteristics. The IPN was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), which showed bands of fullerene at 525 and 1,602 cm−1, for polyacrylonitrile (PAN) at 3,006, 1,408, 1,370, and 2,237 cm−1, and for polyaniline (PANI), it reveals peaks at 3,423, 3,085, 1,583, 1,629, 1,268, 1,314, 907, 989, and 2,929 cm−1, respectively. Shifting in band positions indicates the interpenetration of the reacting species. The maximum value of ε′, ε′′, tanδεr, μ′, μ′′, and tanδμr for IPN “A” and “B” has reached 5.06, 2.26, 2.80, 0.90, 0.83, 2.3, 6.1, 3.69, 3.96, 1.0, 0.85, and 2.77, respectively, depicting relatively higher permittivity and permeability of sample B over A. The maximum value of transmission loss for sample A and B has reached 9.8 and 9.9 dB, respectively, which implies enhanced electromagnetic behavior of sample B over A. The maximum value of conductivity of IPN sample “A” and “B” is found to be 1.7 and 2.5 S/m, respectively. Sample “B” shows enhanced conductivity over sample A. Permeability, permittivity, transmission loss, and conductivity data reveal the conducting character of polymer network. Thermogravimetric analysis is used to calculate initial thermal decomposition of IPN sample “A” and “B” which are found to be at 250 and 370°C, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) thermogram of IPN samples A and B shows glass transition temperature (Tg) at 433.7 and 440.8°C, respectively. The microstructure of polymer network is analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) having 100‐nm resolution which reveals clear dual phase morphology of semi‐IPN films.