Electroactivity of the hybrid material composed of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and titania nanoparticles synthesized by electrochemical process.

This work focuses on the electrochemical synthesis of polymer-inorganic semiconductor hybrid consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and titania nanoparticles (TiO2). The P3HT–TiO2 hybrid was prepared by electropolymerization of the 3HT monomer in a dichloromethane-tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (CH2Cl2/TBAP) solution containing titania nanoparticles (TiO2). The hybrid material was electrodeposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) substrates via cyclic voltammetry method. It was illustrated from scanning electron microscope observation that the incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticle within P3HT matrix created an interconnected network structure, which has improved interfacial transport charges. Furthermore, the potentiodynamic results revealed that the electropolymerization process of P3HT in the presence of TiO2 was easier and occurred at an early value of 1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) with a noticeable increase in current density. The impedance results showed lower charge-transfer resistance and higher capacitance values for the P3HT–TiO2 hybrid (Rct = 7 Ω cm−2, CPE = 5.196 μF cm–2) compared to pure P3HT (Rct = 37 Ω cm−2, CPE = 1.959 μF cm–2), demonstrating the better conductivity and charge storage capacity for the P3HT–TiO2 hybrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]