Enhancing real permittivity and charge storage capacity in BaTiO ₃ -polyaniline nanocomposites

In this study, barium titanate (BT) and polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites with different BT:PANI ratios (80:20, 70:30 and 60:40) as well as pure BT were processed, and their structural, morphological and dielectric characteristics were examined. When the content of PANI was increased, X-ray diffraction showed a systematic improvement in the crystallite size (40–64 nm) and strain (0.0007–0.0029) in the following order: pure BT < BT:PANI 80:20 < BT:PANI 70:30 < BT:PANI 60:40. Scanning electron micrographs showed a clear coral-like shape, confirming successful composite-formation and interaction with one another. The FTIR spectra demonstrated the coexistence of PANI's quinoid and benzenoid ring vibrations with BT's Ti–O stretching modes. Additionally, dielectric permittivity studies showed that as PANI's amount increased, the real permittivity got enhanced, thereby indicating a better charge storage capacity and losses were reduced. These results underscore that modifying BT with PANI by nanocomposite formation can enhance structural and dielectric performance, making them attractive for battery applications.