Facile synthesis of multifunctional multiwalled carbon nanotubes/Fe3O4 nanoparticles/polyaniline composite nanotubes

With an average diameter of 100–150 nm, composite nanotubes of polyaniline (PANI)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a two-step method. First, we synthesized monodispersed Fe3O4 NPs (d=17.6 nm, σ=1.92 nm) on the surface of MWNTs and then decorated the nanocomposites with a PANI layer via a self-assembly method. SEM and TEM images indicated that the obtained samples had the morphologies of nanotubes. The molecular structure and composition of MWNTs/Fe3O4 NPs/PANI nanotubes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra. UV–vis spectra confirmed the existence of PANI and its response to acid and alkali. As a multifunctional material, the conductivity and magnetic properties of MWNTs/Fe3O4 NPs/PANI composites nanotubes were also investigated.

Graphical abstractThe work on preparing nanocomposites has been too much, but few reports were about synthesizing one-dimensional nanocomposite of three different nanoscale materials. In our work, we prepared one-dimensional multiwalled carbon nanotubes/Fe3O4 particles/polyaniline composite nanotubes and studied their conductive and magnetic properties.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide