Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3
Applied Physics A (2020) 126:959
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-020-04138-5
Magnetic, electrical and gas sensing properties
of poly(o‑phenylenediamine)/MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanocomposites
Nagarajan Kannapiran
1
· Athianna Muthusamy
2
· B. Renganathan
3
· A. R. Ganesan
3
· Sher Singh Meena
4
Received: 27 June 2020 / Accepted: 9 November 2020
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract
A series of poly(o-phenylenediamine)/MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanocomposites containing varying concentrations of MnCoFe
2
O
4
were
synthesized by in situ oxidative polymerization method. These nanocomposites were characterized by thermal, spectro-
scopic, microscopic techniques and dielectric properties analyzed at diferent temperature and frequency. X-ray difraction
and Fourier-transform infrared spectra are confrming the formation of poly(o-phenylenediamine)/MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanocom-
posites. The Mössbauer spectral data are indicating the inverse nature of MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanoparticles. The ferromagnetic
behavior of nanocomposites is ascertained with the hysteresis loops of MnCoFe
2
O
4
. Transmission electron microscopy
results are giving good evidences for the deposition of MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanoparticles on the poly(o-phenylenediamine) matrix
and the modifcation of spherical morphology of poly(o-phenylenediamine) by MnCoFe
2
O
4
. The thermal stability of poly(o-
phenylenediamine)/MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanocomposites is increasing with increase in the concentration of MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanopar-
ticles. Dielectric constant and AC conductivity of nanocomposites are varying with applied frequency, temperature and
concentration of MnCoFe
2
O
4
nanoparticles. The ethanol gas sensing ability of MnCoFe
2
O
4
has been improved by poly(o-
phenylenediamine) matrix.
Keywords MnCoFe
2
O
4
· Dielectric constant · AC conductivity · Ethanol gas sensing
1 Introduction
In the past decades, huge numbers of researchers have
focused their attention on magnetic polymer nanocomposites
because of their easy synthesis, tunable properties, fexibil-
ity and exceptional applications [1]. The composites made
by the incorporation of magnetic materials into conducting
polymer matrix enhancing the magnetic, chemical, structural
and electric properties and are called as magneto-polymeric
materials [2]. The miniaturizations of electric and electronic
instruments like mobile phone and portable computers need
materials with high dielectric constant [3]. The crystalline
size infuences the properties of magneto-polymeric nano-
composites such as catalytic efects, drug delivery, electri-
cal and magnetic behavior [4–6]. Generally, the conduct-
ing polymers have many attractive properties such as high
mechanical strength, light weight, non-corrosiveness, sen-
sor and tunable dielectric property. Among the conducting
polymer, polyaniline is an extensively studied conducting
polymer due to its thermal stability, easy preparation and
electrical properties. The o-phenylenediamine is an aniline
derivative and its polymer has large number of –NH
2
, which
is easily bonded with inorganic materials to have efective
interaction [7]. Spinel ferrite nanoparticles are one of the
most important kinds of magnetic nanoparticles because of
their amazing applications in various felds. Generally, the
spinel ferrites have been analyzed for biomedical applica-
tions and surface functionalized ferrite nanoparticles used
for drug targeting [8]. Among the spinel ferrite, cobalt fer-
rite nanoparticles have high stability, mechanical hardness,
high saturation magnetization and coercivity [9, 10]. The
nanocomposites made by the combination two or more
* Athianna Muthusamy
muthusrkv@gmail.com
1
Department of Chemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher
Education, Coimbatore 641021, Tamil Nadu, India
2
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Sri Ramakrishna
Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science,
Coimbatore 641020, Tamil Nadu, India
3
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology
Madras, Chennai 600036, India
4
Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre, Mumbai 400085, India