Characterization of activated carbon fiber/polyaniline materials by position-resolved microbeam small-angle X-ray scattering

Activated carbon fiber (ACF)/polyaniline (PANI) materials have been prepared using two different methods, viz. chemical and electrochemical polymerization. Electrochemical characterization of both materials shows that the electrodes with polyaniline have a higher capacitance than does a pristine porous carbon electrode. To analyze the distribution of PANI within the ACF, characterization by position-resolved microbeam small-angle X-ray scattering (μSAXS) has been carried out. μSAXS results obtained with a single ACF indicate that, for the experimental conditions used, a PANI coating is formed inside the micropores and that it is higher in the external regions of the ACF than in the core. Additionally, it seems that the penetration of PANI inside the fibers occurs in a larger extent for the chemical polymerization or, in other words, for the electrochemically polymerized sample there is a slightly larger accumulation of PANI in the external regions of the ACF.