Insights into electrical dynamics: alternating current conductivity and impedance spectroscopy in 2-cyano-N-(9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-2-yl)-2-(2-phenylhydrazono)acetamide

The dielectric characteristics and impedance spectroscopy of one of the Anthraquinone derivatives, i.e., 2-cyano-N-(9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-2-yl)-2-(2-phenylhydrazono)acetamide (CDAPA), have been investigated in a temperature range 313–393 K, and a frequency range 100–3 × 10⁶ Hz. The average particle size revealed by SEM was 136 nm. The compound shows thermal stability up to 543 K, and an endothermic glass transition at 423 K. The intrinsic and extrinsic direct current (DC) activation energies were calculated as 0.43 and 0.14 eV, respectively. The correlated barrier hopping (CBH) is the predominant conduction mechanism. The activation energy, according to Arrhenius law, decreases from 0.52 to 0.12 eV with the increase in the frequency. The average values of the maximum barrier heights according to the CBH and Guintini models are 0.61 eV and 0.066 eV, respectively. The dielectric properties were studied using complex permittivity components which increase with the increase in temperature and decrease with the increase in frequency, and this behavior is discussed in the light of the modern polarization theory. The ratio of alternating current (AC) conductivity to the dielectric constant showed a moderately higher value which suggests CDAPA is a convenient option for photovoltaic applications. The dielectric modulus relaxation is demonstrated via the modified Kohlrausch, Williams, and Watts (KWW) Fit and the value of stretching factor (β) shows a non-Debye relaxation. The Nyquist diagram exhibits arc-like circles and the components of the complex impedance decrease with frequency of the applied electric field.