A facile and inexpensive method for the preparation of conducting polyaniline–clay composite nanofibers

Hybrid nanofibers constituted by polyaniline doped with phosphoric acid (PAniPh) and two different clays: pristine montmorillonite (MMT-Na+) and organoclay functionalized with amino undecanoic acid (MMT-COOH), were successfully prepared by employing a very simple procedure based on previous swelling the clay in anilinium salt solution followed by in situ polymerization under static conditions and low [acid]/[aniline] molar ratio. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron micrograph (FEG-SEM), transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, electrical conductivity and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Nanocomposites containing around 12% of clay resulted in conducting nano-fibers with ramose structure and higher electrical conductivity than pure PAniPh. The extended conformation was also confirmed from UV–vis spectrum. The best surface conductivity (2.3 S/cm) and highest extended conformation were observed for the PAniPh/MMT-COOH nanocomposite.