TITLE:
Nanocomposites Based on Conducting Polymers and Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes with Different Dopants Obtained by Electropolymerization
AUTHORS:
Florina Branzoi, Viorel Branzoi
KEYWORDS:
Nanocomposite Films, Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes, SEM, Capacitance, Real Impedance
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Surface Engineered Materials and Advanced Technology,
Vol.4 No.3,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Nanocomposite films based on poly
(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene) (PEDOT), functionalized single-walled carbon
nanotubes and different dopants were studied. It was fabricated by a simple
oxidative electropolymerization method. The dopant substances used were SDS (Sodium
dodecyl sulfate) and tiron (1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-3,5-disulfonic acid disodium
salt hydrate). These nano-composite
films were grown electrochemically from aqueous solutions such that
constituents were deposited simultaneously onto substrate electrode. The
synthetic, morphological and electrical properties of the nanocomposite films
obtained were compared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the
composite films consisted of nanoporous networks of SWCNTS (single-walled
carbon nanotubes) coated with polymeric film. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electro-chemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and FT-IR spectroscopy demonstrated that
these composite films had similar electrochemical response rates to pure
polymeric films but a lower resistance and much improved mechanical integrity.
The negatively charged functionalized carbon nano-tubes (CNTSF) served as
anionic dopant during the electropolymerization to synthesize polymer/CNTSF
composite films. The specific electrochemical capacitance of the composite
films is a significantly higher value than that for pure polymer films prepared
similarly. Using these composite films, the modified electrodes with improved
properties were obtained. (In this paper, for simplicity, the SWANTs-COOH group
will be noted CNTsF which means functionalized carbon nanotubes.)