Abstract: | A model is considered in which the characteristics of polymer nonocomposites based on poly(p-xylylene) are observed due to
the formation of large percolation clusters consisting of semiconductor or metal nonoparticles, and to electron transfer from
the surfaces of clusters on -C6H4- phenyl rings. It is assumed that an electrical double layer is formed near a cluster’s surface, accompanied by the appearance
of excess electrons in the polymer matrix as components of -C6H4−- ion resonance. It is shown that a metallic cluster in the polymer matrix is oxidized following an increase in its electrostatic
potential. This could be explained by the notable reduction in the oxidation of nanocomposite metallic clusters by atmospheric
oxygen and water molecules. Upon the formation of semiconductor clusters in poly(p-xylylene) nanocomposite, conductivity is
observed due to the hopping mechanism. The extra electron of the −C6H4−- anion resonance in the electric field jumps to another ring. The hopping character of nanocomposite conductivity is explained
for the case of small nanoparticle concentrations using the Mott model. Precise equations from percolation cluster theory
are used to explain the nonmonotonic dependency of nanocomposite photoconductivity on the concentration of semiconductor nanoparticles. |