Flexible, transparent, high dielectric and photoconductive thin films using ZnO nanosheets-multi-walled carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites

ZnO nanosheet-Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (ZnO-MWCNT) nanostructures have been grown by a sol–gel chemical process. ZnO-MWCNT nanostructures were dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer solutions and spin coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates to fabricate a flexible, transparent, high dielectric and photoconductive thin film device. ZnO-MWCNT-PVA thin films demonstrated superior dielectric permittivity compare to ZnO-PVA and MWCNT-PVA nanocomposites. The dielectric permittivity and ac conductivity measurements of ITO/ZnO-MWCNT-PVA/Al devices have been carried out with different volume fraction of ZnO-MWCNT nanostructures. The photoconductive nature of ZnO-MWCNT-PVA composites has been investigated under illumination of broad band light source of intensity 80 mW/cm2. The flexibility study of the nanocomposite devices have been performed at different bending angles. [Display omitted] •ZnO nanosheet-Carbon Nanotube nanocomposites have been synthesized.•ZnO-CNTs were dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol solution to make thin film device.•Nanocomposite films showed high dielectric permittivity and photoconductivity.•Flexibility study of the devices was performed at different bending angles.