Optical and electrical properties of carbon nanotube-containing Se85Te10Ag5 glassy composites

The infrared optical transmission spectra of 3 and 5 wt.% of carbon nanotube (CNT)-containing Se85Te10Ag5 glassy composites were recorded in the mid-IR region from 4000 to 400cm(-1) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR spectra manifested functional groups interacting the CNT surface and the Se85Te10Ag5 glassy matrix. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the CNT-containing Se85Te10Ag5 glassy composites exhibited PL emission peaks centred within the range 715-725nm. The optical absorption spectra differed between pure Se85Te10Ag5 glass and the CNT-containing Se85Te10Ag5 glassy composites. The electrical conductivity of CNT-containing Se85Te10Ag5 glassy composites was enhanced by four orders of magnitude with the CNT additive. This can be attributed to the formation of many conductive paths through the CNT-CNT internanotube percolation network.