On the Electronic Transport Mechanism in Conducting Polymer Nanofibers

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical model for electron transport in polyaniline nanofibers, treating them as granular metals and highlighting resonance tunneling as the key conduction mechanism, supported by experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum-based theory for conduction in conducting polymer nanofibers, linking granular metal concepts with mesoscopic electron transport, and explains rectifying behavior.

Findings

Resonance electron tunneling is the main charge transport mechanism.

The theory aligns with experimental electrical measurements.

Parameters of electron transport are estimated from data.

Abstract

Here, we present theoretical analysis of electron transport in polyaniline based (PANi) nanofibers assuming the metalic state of the material. To build up this theory we treat conducting polymers as a special kind of granular metals, and we apply the quantum theory of conduction in mesoscopic systems to describe the transport between metallic-like granules. Our results show that the concept of resonance electron tunneling as the predominating mechanism providing charge transport between the grains is supported with recent experiments on the electrical characterization of single PANi nanofibers. By contacting the proposed theory with the experimental data we estimate some important parameters characterizing the electron transport in these materials. Also, we discuss the origin of rectifying features observed in current-voltage characteristics of fibers with varying cross-sectional areas.