Facile and novel route for preparation of nanostructured polyaniline (PANi) thin films

Simple and inexpensive single step facile novel chemical route for the preparation of polyaniline (PANi) nanofibers has been reported. These PANi nanofibers are characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Polyaniline nanofibers exhibit amorphous nature as confirmed from XRD and SAED study. Based on FESEM and TEM analysis, the formation of the polyaniline nanofibers with average diameter of about 40 nm was inferred. The presence of characteristic bonds of polyaniline was observed from FTIR spectroscopy technique. Electrical and optical properties revealed that p-type conductivity PANi with room temperature conductivity of 2.77 × 10 5 (Ω cm) 1 has band gap of 3.40 eV. A blue shift of 0.86 eV with characteristic absorption peak at 441 nm has been attributed due to quantized size of polyaniline nanofibers.