An Industry Friendly Approach for the Preparation of Magnetic and Electro-Conductive Polyaniline Composite Particles

Abstract

Recently nano-sized conducting polymers have gained ample attention because of their unique properties and promising potentiality in nanomaterials and nanodevices. Among the conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANi) is the most studied conducting polymers because of its low monomer cost, ease of preparation, high conductivity in doped form, excellent environmental stability, controllable physical and electrochemical properties by oxidation and protonation. In this investigation magnetic PANi composite particles were prepared following a novel approach by using citric acid for the first time as dopant, surfactant and solubilizing agent. As synthesized citric acid doped Fe₃O₄ (magnetite)/PANi nanocomposites have been characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Spectroscopic analyses confirmed the modification of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles by PANi layer. The Magnetic susceptibility results revealed the paramagnetic behavior of Fe₃O₄/PANi nanocomposite particles. The electrical conductivities of Fe₃O₄/PANi nanocomposites increased up to certain amount of Fe₃O₄ and decreased thereafter.