Title:	Hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposite as a quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor under ambient conditions
Authors:	Suresh Kumar, P. Kumar, Sandeep Lakshminarayanan, V.
Keywords:	differential scanning calorimetry discotic liquid crystals doping profiles electrical conductivity gold compounds nanocomposites one-dimensional conductivity optical microscopy organic-inorganic hybrid materials semiconductor materials solar cells ultraviolet spectra visible spectra X-ray scattering
Issue Date:	2-Nov-2009
Publisher:	American Institute of Physics
Citation:	Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, Vol.106, p093701
Abstract:	We describe here a novel hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposite of hexahexyloxytriphenylene (HAT6) which is a columnar discotic liquid crystal and gold tetrachloride, an inorganic dopant, showing enhanced dc and ac electrical conductivity by several orders of magnitude at ambient conditions vis-à-vis the respective pure components. The composites at appropriate concentrations of the dopants retain the columnar hexagonal phase, which is confirmed by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and x-ray scattering techniques. The UV-vis spectral studies show that the composites absorb in the entire visible range due to the formation of radical cations of the discotic molecules, making it a potential candidate for solar cell applications.
Description:	Open Access
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/3912
ISSN:	1089-7550 (Online) 0148-6349
Alternative Location:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3248342
Copyright:	2009 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (SCM)

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