Hybrid composites of conductive polyaniline and nanocrystalline titanium oxide prepared via self-assembling and graft polymerization

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 47; no. 21; pp. 7361 - 7367
• Main Authors: Li, Jing, Zhu, Lihua, Wu, Yinghui, Harima, Yutaka, Zhang, Aiqing, Tang, Heqing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 04.10.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Graft polymerization; Polyaniline–titania hybrid; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Self-assembled monolayer; Technology of polymers; Self-assembled monolayer; Graft polymerization; Polyaniline–titania hybrid; Surface reaction; Nanoparticle; Photocatalysis; Experimental study; Composite particles; Thermal stability; Conducting polymers; Reflection spectrum; Aqueous medium; Optical properties; Morphology; Preparation; Oxidative polymerization; Polyaniline-titania hybrid; Methyl orange; Titanium oxide; Catalyst activity; Aniline polymer; Photochemical degradation; Graft polymers
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2006.08.059

After TiO 2 nanoparticles were surface modified, conductive polyaniline (PANI) layer was chemically grafted on the surface of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) coated TiO 2 nanoparticles, resulting in PANI/SAM-TiO 2 composites. In the preparation process of the hybrid composites, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane was used as a coupling agent to form a dense aminopropylsilane monolayer with active sites for the graft polymerization of aniline. The resulted composite nanoparticles were characterized by using TEM, FTIR, TGA, and UV–vis-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the inserted SAM layer improved the thermal stability of the PANI–TiO 2 nanocomposites. Compared with neat-TiO 2 nanoparticles without any surface modification, moreover, the PANI/SAM-TiO 2 nanocomposites showed better photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of methyl orange under sunlight, which was partly attributed to the sensitizing effect of PANI.