Synthesis, Structural Study and Various Applications of Polyaniline and its Nanocomposites

Abstract

The long lasting intrinsic conducting polymers (ICPs) including polyaniline (PANI), polypyrole (PPy), Polyindole (PIn), Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), Polythiophene (PT), poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) have been recognized for their significant benefits in optoelectronic devices. In the last few decades, polyaniline has gained recognition over metals, owing its low cost, flexibility, and high conductivity, as well as the ease with which it may be produced using chemical or electrochemical processes. Due to its high electrical conductivity, light weight, ease of fabrication, and excellent environmental stability, PANI has an extensive range of applications, including batteries, sensors, supercapacitors, waste water treatment and organic electronic devices. It also has the potential for chemical and electrochemical synthesis. Polyaniline has promising potential in many optoelectronic applications as well as in supercapacitors. In this chapter, the basic historical background, different synthesis mechanism about conducting polymer polyaniline is discussed in details. Polyaniline has great potential application such as in sensors, supercapacitor and optoelectronic devices etc. due to its ability of ease of synthesis by various methods. Polyaniline based nanocomposites with different metals, metal oxide, metal sulfides, and carbon nanomaterials, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) etc. are described in this section in detail.