POSSIBILITY OF FRACTAL GROWTH IN POLYMER COMPOSITES OF CHARGE-TRANSFER MATERIALS

The possibility of fractal growth in polymer composites of charge-tran sfer materials by analysing the optical image has been reported. Charg e-transfer complexes usually grow in reticulate (net-like) or in a cha nnel form in nonconducting polymers. We report, for the first time, an unusual growth in polymer composite of charge-transfer materials (phe nothiazine-TCNQ) in poly(vinyl acetate). The surface coverage is found to be about 70%. The double logarithmic plot of N(R), number of boxes needed to cover the object completely, and R, reduction factor of eac h box to the initial object, has been plotted and the fractal dimensio ns have been found to be 1.8 and 1.4 in two different regions. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science S.A. Ail rights reserved.