Effects of iodine doping on optoelectronic and chemical properties of polyterpenol thin films

Bazaka, Kateryna;Jacob, Mohan V.

Abstract

Owing to their amorphous, highly cross-liked nature, most plasma polymers display dielectric properties. This study investigates iodine doping as the means to tune optoelectronic properties of plasma polymer derived from a low-cost, renewable resource, i.e., Melaleuca alternifolia oil. In situ exposure of polyterpenol to vapors of electron-accepting dopant reduced the optical band gap to 1.5 eV and increased the conductivity from 5.05 X 10-8 S/cm to 1.20 X 10-6 S/cm. The increased conductivity may, in part, be attributed to the formation of charge-transfer complexes between the polymer chain and halogen, which act as a cation and anion, respectively. Higher levels of doping notably increased the refractive index, from 1.54 to 1.70 (at 500 nm), and significantly reduced the transparency of films.

Journal

Nanomaterials

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2079-4991

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MDPI

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DOI

10.3390/nano7010011