Montmorillonite intercalated by conducting polyanilines

Structure and conductivity of nanocomposite conducting polymer/montmorillonite have been investigated for samples prepared by the polymerization of aniline hydrochloride with ammonium peroxodisulfate in aqueous suspension of montmorillonite. Samples were characterized by combination of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), IR spectroscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. Structure analysis based on combination of molecular modeling and experiment (XRPD and IR spectroscopy) revealed the structure of nanocomposite, including the interlayer structure of montmorillonite, and helped to understand the processes during nanocomposite preparation. Partial intercalation of polyaniline oligomers into the interlayer space of montmorillonite led to the large inhomogeneity of interlayer structure, which results in dramatic decrease of the electrical conductivity of nanocomposite in comparison with pure polyaniline.

► Aniline hydrochloride and ammonium peroxodisulfate as polyaniline/montmorillonite nanocomposite precursors.
► Combination of various analytical methods and molecular modeling used for the characterization of nanocomposite.
► Interlayer Ca2+ cations in the montmorillonite interlayer are only partially exchanged by polyaniline chains.
► Conductivity of polyaniline/montmorillonite nanocomposite is lower than that of pure polyaniline.