Abstract
Electrically conductive polyaniline (Pani)/zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of sulfosalicylic acid (SSA), HCl and different amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles. Pani/ZrO2 nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The stability of the nanocomposites in terms of DC electrical conductivity retention was also studied in ambient atmosphere by isothermal ageing and cyclic ageing techniques. Pani/ZrO2 nanocomposites were observed to be more conducting than Pani but showed poorer stability in terms of DC electrical conductivity retention under ambient environmental conditions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
One of the authors (Tarique Anwer) is thankful to Mohammad Shahadat (Department of Chemistry, A.M.U., Aligarh) for help and discussions.
Notes
Stock Solution A: 236 g of SSA in 1000 mL of 1 M HCl.
Stock Solution B: 200 g of double distilled aniline in 1000 mL of 1 M HCl.
Stock Solution C: 72.5 g of K2S2O8 in 1000 mL of 1 M HCl.