Graphene oxide-induced polymerization and crystallization to produce highly conductive polyaniline/graphene oxide composite

• Published in: Journal of polymer science. Part A, Polymer chemistry Polymer chemistry, 2014-06, Vol.52 (11), p.1545-1554
• Main Authors: Mohamadzadeh Moghadam, Mohamad Hasan, Sabury, Sina, Gudarzi, Mohsen Moazzami, Sharif, Farhad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonium peroxodisulfate; Aniline; Applied sciences; Composites; Crystal structure; Crystallinity; Crystallization; Diffraction patterns; electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fourier transforms; Graphene; graphene oxide; Infrared radiation; Nanofibers; Organic polymers; Oxidants; Oxides; Oxidizing agents; Physicochemistry of polymers; polyaniline; Polyanilines; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymerization; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Resistivity; Sheets; Technology of polymers; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0887-624X; 1099-0518
• DOI: 10.1002/pola.27147

ABSTRACT Graphene oxide (GO)–polyaniline (PANI) composite is synthesized by in situ polymerization of aniline in the presence of GO as oxidant, resulting in highly crystalline and conductive composite. Fourier transform infrared spectrum confirms aniline polymerization in the presence of GO without using conventional oxidants. Scanning electron microscopic images show the formation of PANI nanofibers attached to GO sheets. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate the presence of highly crystalline PANI. The sharp peaks in XRD pattern suggest GO sheets not only play an important role in the polymerization of aniline but also in inducing highly crystalline phase of PANI in the final composite. Electrical conductivity of doped GO–PANI composite is 582.73 S m−1, compared with 20.3 S m−1 for GO–PANI obtained by ammonium persulfate assisted polymerization. The higher conductivity appears to be the result of higher crystallinity and/or chemical grafting of PANI to GO, which creates common conjugated paths between GO and PANI. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 1545–1554 Graphene Oxide assisted polymerization of aniline in the absence of a conventional oxidant leads to the formation of a chemically grafted morphology. Polyaniline is attached to the partially reduced graphene oxide sheet, despite conventional ammonium persulfate assisted polymerization of aniline in the presence of graphene oxide. The highly crystalline structure of the graphene oxide–polyaniline composite leads to a high electrical conductivity which is 10 times higher than graphene oxide–polyaniline obtained by ammonium persulfate assisted polymerization.