Synthesis, characterization and microwave absorption property of doped polyaniline nanocomposites containing TiO2 nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes

As nanomaterial possessing moderate conductivity, magnetic and dielectric property, novel hexanoic acid (HA)-doped polyaniline (PAni) nanocomposites containing TiO2 nanoparticles (dielectric filler) and carbon nanotubes, CNTs (magnetic fillers such as single-walled carbon nanotube, SWNT and multi-walled carbon nanotube, MWNT) were prepared by template free method. The PAni were characterized by UV, FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Conductivity, magnetization, dielectric and microwave absorption properties of PAni were also investigated. The resulted nanorods/tubes as shown in SEM images clearly show that polymerization is proceeded in micelle/water interface through elongation. During template free method, TiO2 and CNT exist in the center of Ani/HA micelle. The SEM images show that some of the CNT enwrapped with PAni layer indicate CNT are just packed underneath the PAni and never attacked by PAni. PAni/HA/TiO2/SWNT with 20% of SWNT exhibits the best microwave absorption property (∼99.2% absorption) with reflection loss of −21.7 dB at 6 GHz due to its moderate conductivity (1.27 S/cm), magnetization (Ms = 1.01 emu/g), highest tan δ and heterogeneity.