Pleated Surface Morphology of C60 Fullerene Nanowhiskers Incorporated by Polyaniline in N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone

Abstract

The addition of polyaniline emeraldine base dissolved in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (PAni/NMP) on fullerene C60 whiskers (FW) by direct-mixing technique resulted to the formation of a hybrid material herein called FW/PAni hybrid. The FW/PAni hybrid has a tubular structure with pleated surface texture. It is thinly coated with PAni and has a higher surface area relative to pristine FW and PAni. Beneath the amorphous outer covering, the hybrid shows a crystalline structure as shown by high resolution TEM and selected area electron diffraction. Charge transfer (CT) interaction from electron-rich PAni to electron deficient FW may have resulted to the physical chain entanglement of PAni to FW. The tubular structure of the hybrid is likely caused by the lone pair electrons present in both NMP and PAni causing dissolution inside the whisker. The FW/PAni hybrid having a large surface area and narrow pore size distribution has potential use as hydrogen adsorbent for fuel cell applications, catalysts, and templates for nanofabrication.