Ac transport studies in polymers by a resistor network and transfer matrix approaches: application to polyaniline

TL;DR

This paper presents a statistical resistor network model combined with transfer matrix methods to simulate the AC resistivity of polyaniline, revealing the dominance of interchain processes at low frequencies and intrachain mechanisms at high frequencies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combined resistor network and transfer matrix approach to accurately model AC resistivity in polymers, accounting for polydispersiveness and charge transport processes.

Findings

Interchain processes dominate low-frequency resistivity.

Intrachain mechanisms are dominant at high frequencies.

Model successfully reproduces experimental measurements.

Abstract

A statistical model of resistor network is proposed to describe a polymer structure and to simulate the real and imaginary components of its ac resistivity. It takes into account the polydispersiveness of the material as well as intrachain and interchain charge transport processes. By the application of a transfer matrix technique, it reproduces ac resistivity measurements carried out with polyaniline films in different doping degrees and at different temperatures. Our results indicate that interchain processes govern the resistivity behavior in the low frequency region while, for higher frequencies, intrachain mechanisms are dominant.