A set of uniform carbon microspheres (CS) whose diameters have the order of 0.125μm to 10μm was prepared from aqueous sucrose solution by means of hydrothermal carbonization of sugar molecules. A pressed pellet was composed by mixing CSs with polyethylene oxide (PEO). Electrical characterization of the pellet was carried out showing Ohmic current-voltage characteristics and temperature-dependent conductivity in the range 80K<T<300K. The conductivity reached a maximum value of 0.245S/cm at 258K. The dependence of conductivity on temperature was theoretically analyzed to determine predominating mechanisms of electron transport. It was shown that thermally-induced electron tunneling between adjacent spheres may take on an important part in the electron transport through the CS/PEO composites.
@article{arxiv.1604.02365,
title = {Electron transport mechanisms in polymer-carbon sphere composites},
author = {Cesar A. Nieves and Idalia Ramos and Nicholas J. Pinto and Natalya A. Zimbovskaya},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1604.02365},
year = {2016}
}