Controlled Synthesis of Optically Active Polyaniline Nanorods and Nanostructured Gold Microspheres Using Tetrachloroaurate as an Efficient Oxidant of Aniline

Abstract

Optically active polyaniline nanorods and hierarchically structured gold microspheres are synthesized using tetrachloroaurate as an efficient oxidant of aniline in the presence of a chiral inducing agent camphorsulfonic acid. The chiral organization of the resultant polyaniline nanorods is strongly affected by the ratio of aniline to AuCl4−, with the highest optical activity being observed for the ratio around 5:2. The particle size and size distributions of the gold microspheres are influenced by the concentration of the oxidant tetrachloroaurate.