Effect of Ionic‐Electronic Coupling on the Percolation Phenomenon of Polymer/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Films

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of ionic‐electronic coupling on the percolation phenomenon of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/rGO nanocomposite films by adding KOTf because the rGO exhibits electronic conductivity and KOTf exhibits ionic conductivity. The electrical conductivity curve of PEO/rGO nanocomposite films exhibits a sharp rise in the percolation zone, followed by constant values in the conductive zone, indicating the formation of rGO conductive pathways through the PEO matrix. On the other hand, introducing KOTf in PEO/rGO nanocomposite films increases the maximum electrical conductivity from to , due to the high ionic‐electronic coupling through the polymer matrix at the interface between phase‐separated regions. Scanning electron micrographs revealed the distribution and morphology of PEO/rGO and PEO/rGO/KOTf nanocomposite films. Finally, the feasibility of using PEO/rGO and PEO/rGO/KOTf nanocomposite films in the conductive zone as an electrochemical charge storage device is investigated. We can conclude that PEO/rGO/KOTf nanocomposite films can be used in several potential applications, including high‐performance UV‐photodetectors, photoactive layers in solar cells, and energy storage devices.