Effect of Hydrochloric Acid Concentration on Morphology of Polyaniline Nanofibers Synthesized by Rapid Mixing Polymerization

Abstract

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers with diameters ranging from 60 nm to 190 nm were successfully synthesized by rapid mixing polymerization method at room temperature. The effects of synthesis conditions such as concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl), ammonium persulfate (APS), and aniline monomer (Ani) on the morphology of PANI nanofibers were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR and UV-Vis analysis were performed to characterize the PANI nanofibers. The effect of polymerization time and electrical properties of PANI nanofibers was also discussed. A rapid mixing polymerization method is found to be advantageous in producing bulk quantities of nanofibers.