Growth of One-Dimensional Polyindole Nanostructures

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) nanostructured polyindole (Nano-Pind) was synthesized with 10 minutes (Pind-10 m) and 24 hours (Pind-24 h) of polymerization time using a facile chemical oxidative polymerization method. The obtained Nano-Pinds were explored to study the differences in their structural, optical, spectral and conducting properties with regard to the variation in polymerization duration. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) reveal formation of long and smooth surfaced 1D nanostructures of Pind with diameter of approximately 25-125 nm and lengths of several microns. Structural chemical analysis of the Nano-Pinds conducted by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fluorescence spectroscopic measurements support their formations, thereby indicating Pind-24 h to exhibit sharper and far better resolved spectral profile than that of Pind-10 m. The Nano-Pinds exhibit good blue-light emitting property, and improved Electrical Conductivity (EC) than earlier reported globular Pinds, suggesting their potential applications in nanotechnology, especially in the field of optoelectronics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on 1D nanostructures of Pind.