Impact of the concentration of multiwall carbon nanotubes on polyaniline

AbstractIn this paper, pure polyaniline (PANI) and its composites were synthesized with different concentrations of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and their formation was characterized using different characterizing tools. The XRD pattern and scanning electron microscope images showed a homogeneous coating of the PANI on the MWCNTs, which indicated the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes into a polymer matrix. The Fourier transform infrared confirmed the interaction between the MWCNTs and the PANI through a quinoid ring, which caused the PANI chains to be adsorbed on the surface of the MWCNT and formed a tubular core surrounded by MWCNTs. The UV spectroscopy data accounted for the lower optical band gap of the PANI/MWCNT composites. The electrical transport properties of the different PANI/MWCNT composites were investigated using two-probe method techniques, which showed that the conductivity of the PANI/MWCNT composites increased with increases in the concentration of the MWCNTs and the temperature. This enhancement in conductivity was explained on the basis of the band gap and charge transfer effect.