Chitosan/Microcrystalline Cellulose Overlaid rGO/Fe3O4 Films: Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy Investigations

Abstract

Hybrid and straightforward inorganic/organic composites that can be used simultaneously for energy storage are reported. Films from chitosan (Cs) with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) implanted with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and/or magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were fabricated. The reinforcement of the Cs/MCC films with rGO and /or Fe3O4 was studied through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive electron spectroscopy. In addition, their magnetic, conductivity, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss behaviors were studied. The magnetic investigations of the two films loaded with Fe3O4 have supper paramagnetic behavior. The saturation magnetization was decreased with the presence of rGO. At lower frequencies, the contribution of charge transport and interfacial polarization causes a sudden and nearly linear increase in permittivity with decreasing frequency. Unfortunately, no indication of electrode polarization was found, which reduces the ability of the prepared composition to store electrical energy. The electric modulus representation was employed to determine the relaxation time of the interfacial polarization quantitatively and numerically. No indication of electrode polarization was found.