Controlled synthesis of polyaniline nanostructures with junctions using in situ self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

Novel Y-junction polyaniline (PANI) nanorods and nanotubes (40–100 nm in diameter and a few micrometers in length) were selectively prepared, for the first time, using in situ self-assembly of water-soluble Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol(5) nonylphenyl ether (NP5) and cyclodextrin (CD) as templates and pH control in an aqueous medium. The morphology of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and the PANI nanostructures (rods and tubes) was determined by TEM and the effects of reaction conditions such as the concentration of aniline and organic solvent on the morphology of the PANI nanostructures were also studied. Characterization experiments including FTIR, UV-vis spectrometry and X-ray diffraction were carried out to study the chemical and electronic structures of the PANI nanostructures.