AC Electrical Transport Properties and Current - Voltage Hysteresis Behavior of PVA-CNT Nanocomposite Film

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) - Carbon nanotube (CNT) composite has been prepared and its electric modulus, ac conductivity, impedance spectroscopy and current-voltage characteristics have been studied, at and above room temperature, to understand the prevailing charge transport mechanism. Non-Debye type relaxation behavior was observed with activation energy of 1.27 eV whereas correlated barrier hopping was found to be the dominant charge transport mechanism with maximum barrier height of 48.7 meV above room temperature. The sample, under +/- 80 V applied voltage, exhibits hysteresis behavior in its current - voltage characteristics.