Fabrication of conducting polyaniline‐coated halloysite coaxial structure nanocomposites via in situ oxidative graft polymerization

The preparation of conducting g-aminopropyltriethoxysilane halloysite (APHNTs)/polyaniline (PANI) coaxial tubular nanocomposite was conducted via in situ oxidative polymerization after the surface modification of the halloysite nanotubes' (HNTs) surface with gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (gamma-APTES) as modifier and aniline as monomer in the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl). The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The surface coatings of the gamma-APHNTs and the gamma-APHNTs/PANI hybrids were characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphology of gamma-APHNTs/PANI nanocomposites were examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrical conductivities of the gamma-APHNTs/PANI were measured using SDY-4 Four-Point Probe Meter. The results showed that the concentration of HCl had no effect on the morphologies and the electrical conductivities of the gamma-APHNTs/PANI nanocomposites increased with more HCl added. (C) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers