Synthesis and characterization of C60/polyaniline composites from interfacial polymerization

• Published in: Journal of polymer science. Part B, Polymer physics Polymer physics, 2012-10, Vol.50 (20), p.1426-1432
• Main Authors: Wang, Qiguan, Wang, Sumin, Li, Jianping, Moriyama, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; C60/polyaniline composites; Composites; conducting polymers; electrical conductivity; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; fullerenes; interfacial polymerization; morphology; nanocomposites; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 0887-6266; 1099-0488
• DOI: 10.1002/polb.23142

C60/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites have been synthesized by the oxidative polymerization of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate in the presence of C60 by using an interfacial reaction. When compared with the pure PANI nanofibers from the similar process, the diameter of the obtained C60/PANI nanofibers was increased because of the encapsulation of C60 into PANI during aniline polymerization, which resulted from the charge‐transfer interactions between C60 and aniline fragment in PANI. In addition, the resulting C60/PANI nanocomposites synthesized from the low initial C60/aniline molar ratio (less than 1:25) showed the homogenous morphology composed of fiber network structures, which has an electrical conductivity as high as 1.1 × 10−4 S/cm. However, the C60/PANI nanocomposites from the higher initial C60/aniline molar ratio (more than 1:15) showed the nonuniformly distributed morphology, and the electrical conductivity was decreased to 3.5 × 10−5 S/cm. Moreover, the C60/PANI nanocomposites from the interfacial reaction showed a higher value of electrical conductivity than the mechanically mixed C60/PANI blends with the same C60 content, because of the more evenly distributed microstructures. FTIR, UV–vis, and CV data confirmed the presence of C60 and the significant charge‐transfer interactions in the resultant nanocomposites, which was responsible for the morphology development of the C60/PANI and the variation of the electrical conductivity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012 C60 combined with polyaniline (PANI) increases the conductivity by making the composites p‐type semiconductors. C60/PANI nanocomposites were synthesized by an interfacial reaction, and the resulting homogenous fiber network structures, due to significant charge‐transfer interactions between C60 and PANI, showed an electrical conductivity as high as 1.1 × 10−4 S/cm. The mechanically mixed C60/PANI blends displayed lower electrical conductivity than the composites with the same C60 loading because of an unevenly distributed morphology. The electronic interaction was responsible for the morphology development and the conductivity variation.