In Thin Films of Organically Modified Silicates (ORMOSIL) metal nanoparticles are doped which serves as electron hopping sites thus improving the conductivity of films. Can some please explain how does this happen? Can electron hopping only take place using noble metal nanoparticles or through other nanoparticles as well?
"hopping" is another word for "tunneling" which is a more appropriate term because it shows you that the electroncs do something which is described by quantum mechanics. G. Nimtz and his team (you can find his publications on RG) has shown that during tunneling (he used photons) the "particles" do not spend any time (zero!) in the tunnel barrier.
If nanoparticles are dispersed insome continuous matrix, they form dissipative structures:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229816762_Electrical_conductivity_in_heterogeneous_polymer_systems._V_%281%29_Further_experimental_evidence_for_a_phase_transition_at_the_critical_volume_concentration
which means, they are not statistically evenly distributed within the insulating matrix. Then, tunneling can happen (and it does).
Not only noble metal nanoparticles would do this, but nano-copper e.g. will oxidize over time hence the tunnel barriers are getting thicker = conductivity lower.
Article Electrical conductivity in heterogeneous polymer systems. V ...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Nanostructured Materials
- Nanoparticles