Composite materials in the form of fiber or film made from polymers and carbon nanostructures often have encouraging electrical [1], thermal [2], and thermoelectric [3] properties. They enable their implementation in batteries [1] and thermoelectric generators [3]. Such materials can be synthesized by several method, among which the electrochemical approach is especially convenient. In such a case, monomers are polymerized onto the nanocarbon surface and the process may be easily adjusted by changing the electrical parameters [4]. Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most popular conductive polymers used in this area because it is relatively simple to manufacture at low cost and effort. Moreover, PANI has three different forms: pernigraniline (fully oxidized), emeraldine (partially oxidized), and leucoemeraldine (fully reduced), which enables the production of nanocomposites of diverse characteristics [5].<br/>The goal of this work was to exploit the phenomenon that purified nanocarbon exhibits hydrophilic surface character [6] for the sake of electropolymerization of aniline onto nanocarbon. The wet method was used to manufacture films from single-walled nanotubes (SWCNTs) and SWCNTs/graphene nanoplatelet composite [6]. Then, different forms of PANI were synthesized using voltage ranges between -1.6 V and 1.6 V. The obtained composites were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy. Moreover, water contact angles, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficients were determined. Consequently, correlations were made between the microstructure/chemical composition of the nanocomposites and the observed characteristics. For example, coating the material with emeraldine salts enhanced the electrical conductivity of the nanocarbon films by about 60% [7].

Synthesis and properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes-polyaniline nanocomposites

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ACS Fall 2022

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