Ultrasonic assisted preparation and characterization of Conductive Polyaniline-Modified Magnetite Nanocomposites (PAni/Fe3O4 Nanocomposites)

Abstract

Polyaniline (PAni) is one of the most widely studied conducting polymers due to its easy synthesis method, reversible chemical reaction, and high environmental stability, low cost and flexible electrical conductivity. Blending PAni with some quantity of aniline dimer- COOH modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles can form novel composites with suitable electric and magnetic properties. Standard four-point probe apparatus were used to measure the conductivity of pure Aniline, Polyaniline (PAni) and PAni/Fe3O4 nanocomposites, while magnetic properties of the magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles and PAni/Fe3O4 nanocomposites were recorded on Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). It was found that the electrical conductivity was increased and decreased with addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (1.8 × 10-9 S/cm, 6.32× 10-1 S/cm, and 2.3× 10-3 S/cm). It was also observed that the composites exhibit super paramagnetic performance with saturation magnetization (Ms) of Ms = 22.5 emug-1. The morphology and elemental composition analysis of the modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles and PAni/Fe3O4 nanocomposites was studied using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). However, the obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles was found to be spherical and agglomerated, due to higher magnetic attraction between the particles, while the modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded in the PAni nanotubes lead to the formation of the composites with clear nanofibers structure. The absorption analysis of the modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles and PAni/Fe3O4 nanocomposites studied by UV-visible found to be 370 nm and 650 nm respectively which can be attributed to π-π transition of benzenoid ring of PAni, suggesting that the conductive PAni was formed. The result was further supported by XRD and FTIR analysis.