Fabrication and characterization of polyaniline (PANI) modified with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets

Abstract

Technological developments in the electronics industry require lightweight, anticorrosive and economically viable materials possessing efficient electrical properties. For designing of such materials, mostly graphene and its derivatives are considered due to their unique electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. In this work, Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) commonly referred as graphene, a 2D allotrope of carbon synthesized by solvothermal treatment has been incorporated into polyaniline (PANI) matrix to improve the electrical conductivity of the polymer. The formation of nanoparticles have been studied through different characterization techniques of X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). All the characterizations confirm the successful synthesis of PANI/graphene nanocomposite. The PANI/graphene nanocomposite has been further tested for electrical properties to evaluate the influence of RGO on electrical conductivity of PANI nanofibres. From electrical conductivity studies it has been confirmed that RGO thus increases the conductivity of pure PANI. Hence the electrical conductivity of PANI/graphene nanocomposites shows an increasing trend and exhibit maximum electrical conductivity of 0.18 S/m over microwave frequency range of 1–20 GHz.