Synthesis of nanocomposites via electropolymerization of aniline onto hydrophilic films from nanocarbon and investigation of their properties

Nanocomposites consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and polyaniline (PANI) are among the most popular combinations of nanocarbon materials and conductive polymers due to their impressive electrical properties. They have been applied to manufacturing supercapacitors, thermogenerators, and other components for microelectronics. In the presented work, we synthesized four forms of PANI: penirgraniline base (PB), leucoemeralidine base (LB), emeraldine base (EB), and emeraldine salt (ES), and were electropolymerized onto hydrophilic electrodes from as-made SWCNTs, oxidized SWCNTs, and composites of SWCNTs with graphene (G+SWCNTs). The resulting materials' electrical and mechanical properties were measured and compared to evaluate the impact of the type and amount of PANI introduced into these nanocomposites. The results showed that the addition of ES improved the electrical conductivity from 1069 S/cm to 3031 S/cm and supercapacitor capacity from 9.9 to 249.8 F/g. The Young's modulus, fracture point, and tensile strength were markedly improved for all types of nanocomposites examined, indicating that the incorporation of PANI into SWCNT enhanced durability.