Nucleation and growth mechanisms in the electrochemical synthesis of Ag/polyaniline nanocomposites

Abstract

Nucleation and growth mechanisms in the synthesis of polyaniline nanowires (PANI NWs) and of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) which are assembly to PANI NWs, are proposed. Aniline polymerization proceeds over a graphite electrode at potentials that go from 0.9 V to 1.15 V (vs Ag/AgCl), using: 0.25, 0.15, or 0.05 M of aniline in HNO3 solution. In the polyaniline nucleation and growth is postulated a diffusional 3D model that involves the dendrites formation and the unidirectional growing step. At lowest aniline concentration, the transients displayed the typical peaked shape, characteristic of a 3D nucleation and diffusion-controlled growth. Silver nanoparticles are synthesized on the polyaniline/graphite substrate. Current-time transients at −0.1 V and −0.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl), displayed a decreasing in the current which is fit to Cotrell modified diffusion-limited aggregation model. Nanowires and nanoparticles morphology observed by SEM corroborated the proposed mechanisms.