Field emission of MWCNTs/PANi nanocomposites prepared by ex‐situ and in‐situ polymerization methods. Issue 8 (24th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shumaila, Samina Husain; Parveen, Shama; Ali, Javid; Kumar, Avshish; Husain, M.
• Is Part Of: Polymer composites. Volume 34:Issue 8(2013:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1298
• Page End: 1305
• Publication Date: 2013-06-24
• Subjects: Polymeric composites -- Periodicals; 620.192
• DOI: 10.1002/pc.22542
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-8397

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>The present work describes the field‐emission properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated with conducting polymer polyaniline (PANi). MWCNTs/PANi nanocomposites have been prepared by <italic>ex‐ situ</italic> polymerization methods and <italic>inex‐ situ</italic> chemical polymerization and are analyzed by SEM and Raman spectroscopy. It is fairly clear from SEM images that PANi is coated on the surface of MWCNT. SEM image of PANi powder also shows that the powder obtained is PANi nanofibers. It is also observed from SEM images that the shell diameter of MWCNTs depends on PANi content in thenanocomposites. The average outer diameter of MWCNTs increases from 7–15 to 50–80 nm upon PANi coating. Field‐emission study shows that although there is decrease in the value of turnex‐on field <italic>E</italic><sub>to</sub> and increase in the value field enhancement factor <italic>β</italic> of the nanocomposites as we go from direct solid‐state mixing method to <italic>inex‐ situ</italic> chemical polymerization method, the parameters obtained by <italic>inex‐ situ</italic> polymerization chemical method shows superior field emission. The turn‐on field of the nanocomposites are between 2.5 and 4.5 V/μm and the field enhancement factors are significantly high, between 1.2 × 10<sup>3</sup> and 9.2 × 10<sup>3</sup> while. PANi nanofibers does not show any field emission. POLYM. COMPOS. 34:1298–1305, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers</p> </abstract>