Self-assembly of polyaniline/Au composites: From nanotubes to nanofibers

Polyaniline (PANI)/Au composite nanotubes and nanofibers are synthesized through a self-assembly process in the presence of camphorsulfonic acid and hydrochloric acid, as dopants, respectively. The PANI/Au composites are characterized by FT-IR, UV-vis, and thermogravimetric analysis to verify the incorporation of the An nanoparticles and determine the Au content. Structural characterization is performed using SEM, TEM and X-ray diffraction. The presence of the An nanoparticles results in an increased conductivity and improved crystallinity of the PANT. The self-assembly method employed here is a simple and inexpensive route to synthesize multifunctional nanotubes and nanofibers and could be extended to prepare other inorganic nanoparticle/PANI composites.