Fabrication of conducting polyaniline‐coated halloysite coaxial structure nanocomposites via in situ oxidative graft polymerization

The preparation of conducting γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane halloysite (APHNTs)/polyaniline (PANI) coaxial tubular nanocomposite was conducted via in situ oxidative polymerization after the surface modification of the halloysite nanotubes' (HNTs) surface with γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (γ‐APTES) as modifier and aniline as monomer in the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl). The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The surface coatings of the γ‐APHNTs and the γ‐APHNTs/PANI hybrids were characterized with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphology of γ‐APHNTs/PANI nanocomposites were examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrical conductivities of the γ‐APHNTs/PANI were measured using SDY‐4 Four‐Point Probe Meter. The results showed that the concentration of HCl had no effect on the morphologies and the electrical conductivities of the γ‐APHNTs/PANI nanocomposites increased with more HCl added. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1759–1766, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers