Preparation and study of PPy/PEO blend nanocomposite films properties doped with GO: AgNO3 hybrid NPs

One promising approach for developing multifunctional hybrid nanocomposite films is the incorporation of hybrid nanoparticles into conductive polymer blends. In this work, a 50:50 polypyrrole/polyethylene oxide (PPy/PEO) blend doped with graphene oxide (GO) and silver nitrate (AgNO3) nanoparticles at different concentrations (3–12 wt%) was examined to explore structural and morphological changes in the film matrix. The effects of nanoparticle incorporation on crystallinity, phase compatibility, and surface behavior were investigated: structural properties by XRD, chemical properties by FTIR, and morphology and surface features by FESEM and AFM examinations. At 12 wt% loading, GO’s oxygenated groups anchor AgNO3 nanoparticles, enabling uniform dispersion and interfacial bridging between PPy’s rigid domains and PEO’s flexible matrix. XRD revealed a reduction in PEO crystallinity (up to 40% at 12 wt%), attributed to GO’s disruption of molecular ordering. FESEM images confirmed phase-separated morphologies, with GO sheets forming wrinkled networks in PEO-rich regions and Ag nanoparticles aggregating in PPy domains. AFM surface roughness trends (RMS: 4.22 nm at 3 wt% to 1.61 nm at 12 wt%) highlight nanoparticle-induced smoothing at higher concentrations.