Preparation and characterization of a conjugated polymer and copper nanoparticle composite material: A chemical synthesis route

We report here on a novel in situ synthetic method for the preparation of a poly-(3,5 dimethyl aniline) and copper nanoparticle composite material. 3,5 Dimethyl aniline and copper sulfate were used as the precursors. During the reaction, 3,5 dimethyl aniline oxidizes to form poly-(3,5 dimethyl aniline), while copper sulfate is reduced and forms copper nanoparticles. The structure of the polymer was investigated using UV-vis, IR and Raman analyses. TEM and SEM studies, respectively, yielded the nanoparticle size and the morphology of the composite material.