## 3 Results and Discussion
### I-V Characteristic Studies  
The current as a function of the voltage was measured for the PLC nanocomposite before and after EB irradiation, as shown in Figure 15. The conducting behavior of a semiconducting polymer PANI nanocomposite is due to the presence of conjugational defects like polarons and bipolarons in the molecular chain and the electrons and trapped ions in the polymer matrix. An increase in the current was observed with an increase in the EB energy, which may be due the creation of energy levels within the energy gaps; hence, the energy band gap decreased (i.e., introduced new energy levels within the existing gap). The _I-V_ characteristics plot of the PLC nanocomposite before and after irradiation exhibited a nonohmic nature. This nonlinear increase in the current with the applied potential is mainly due to the charge transport involved in the formation of polarons and bipolarons upon irradiation. Initially, there was a low current for up to 1 V of the applied voltage for all doses. After the applied voltage increased to 4 V, the current increased drastically along with the EB dose, confirming an increase in the formation of polarons/bipolarons. Hence, they contribute to the high current via the charge transfer mechanism in the system, acting as charge carrier defect states, which are important in PANI-based composites [52]. Figure 14: (**a**) CV plots for the PLC nanocomposite before and after EB irradiation and (**b**) cyclic voltammetry plots for the 120 kGy EB irradiated PLC nanocomposite at 0.1 V/s, 0.2 V/s, 0.3 V/s, 0.4 V/s, 0.5 V/s, and 0.6 V/s scan rates. The dc conductivity (\(\sigma_{\rm dc}\)) values of the PLC nanocomposite before and after EB irradiation for various doses were calculated using the _I-V_ curve with the help of the following equation [53]:  
\[\sigma_{dc}=\frac{It}{VA} \tag{9}\]  
where _I_(A) is the current, \(t\) is the thickness of the sample, \(A\) is the cross-sectional area of the sample, and \(V\) is the voltage. The calculated conductivity values were found to gradually increase with the increase in the EB doses (0 to 120 kGy), namely, 8.77 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-5}\) S/cm, 9.07 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-5}\) S/cm, 9.67 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-5}\) S/cm, and 1.05 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\) S/cm for the PLCs Unirr and the 40, 80, and 120 kGy EB doses, respectively. These values are greater than those reported for \(\gamma\)-ray-irradiated polyaniline-based composites [54]. The results demonstrate an increase in the dc conductivity of the electron-beam-irradiated samples relative to the unirradiated samples. In Table 3, radiation type, conductivity and energy band gap in the current study and those previously documented from other sources are compared. The PANI/LiClO\({}_{4}\)/CuO nanocomposite demonstrates promising characteristics for various applications, particularly when compared to the values in the table above. The conductivity and energy band gap of this composite are expected to maintain a balance between the electrical conductivity and optical properties, which is essential for sensors, energy storage devices, and electronic components. PANI-based composites, such as PANI/LiClO\({}_{4}\)/CuO, typically show an improved conductivity due to the ionic conductivity of LiClO\({}_{4}\), which enhances the charge transport properties. This makes it potentially more efficient than composites like NiO/PANI (with conductivity values of around 10\({}^{-3}\) S/cm) or CuO/PANI composites (with conductivities in the range of 10\({}^{-3}\) to 10\({}^{-2}\) S/cm), as shown in the Table 3. The presence of CuO (copper oxide) in the composite further boosts conductivity, especially in electrochemical applications. Figure 15: _I-V_ characteristic plots before and after the EB irradiation of the PLC nanocomposite at room temperature. Energy band gaps for such composites generally lie between 2.8 eV and 3.4 eV, which is in line with the table's values, making them suitable for optoelectronic applications.