Facile fabrication of functional poly (para-phenylenediamine) nanotubes using self-degraded methyl orange template

Abstract

Polyaniline (PANI) derivatives, such as poly(phenylenediamine) (para, ortho and meta derivatives) and their nanostructures are attracting immense interest in wide potential applications due to their unique multifunctionality. Here, we report synthesis of polymer nanotubes from poly (para-phenylenediamine) (PpPD) by a simple self-degrading template method using methyl orange (MO) as the structure-directing template and potassium persulfate (KPS) as the oxidant. Two experiment schemes with reversed additions of monomer and oxidant are tested and they demonstrate influence on morphology of the as-produced materials. Electron microscopy and diffraction studies show that the nanotubes with 80 −100 nm outer diameter and more than 1 μm in length, exhibit rectangular cross-section and partial crystallinity. The chemical structures of the material are characterized by EDX, FTIR and UV-Visible spectroscopy. Results show that PpPD nanotubes could be successfully prepared by the facile solution route and demonstrate that the MO template is versatile for preparing nanotubes for not only of conducting polymer but also for its derivative.