Facile synthesis of uniformly dispersed ZnO nanoparticles on a polystyrene/rGO matrix and its superior electrical conductivity and photocurrent generation

Abstract

Herein, a ZnO/PS/rGO composite was prepared via a simple reflex method and its microstructural and physical properties were characterized using XRD, SEM, HRTEM, TGA and FTIR, UV-visible, and PL spectroscopies. DC and AC electrical conductivities of the composite were measured using a four-point collinear probe method. The charge transfer resistance and photocurrent transient response were characterized via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It has been observed that in the ZnO/PS/rGO composite, even a small amount of rGO (5 wt%) effectively increases its electrical conductivity. PCTR and OCVD measurements revealed that the photocurrent response of ZnO was markedly improved when it was used in the composite ZnO/PS/rGO form; this suggested the viability of the ZnO/PS/rGO composite for practical applications.