The reduction of silver ions with polyaniline: The effect of the type of polyaniline and the mole ratio of the reagents

Abstract

Polyaniline granules and nanotubes were suspended in solutions of silver nitrate in 1 M nitric acid. The resulting polyaniline–silver composites had conductivities ranging from 9.3 × 10 − 5 to 33.2 S cm − 1 with the silver content varying up to 10.6 wt.%. Aniline oligomers, prepared by the oxidation of aniline in an alkaline medium, have been used in the same reaction for comparison. They can also efficiently reduce silver ions but their composites with silver were non-conducting, even with 13.4 wt.% of silver.