Recent advances in polyaniline composites with metals, metalloids and nonmetals

•Recent advances in composites of polyaniline with metals and alloys are reviewed.•An overview of polyaniline/metalloid and polyaniline/nonmetal composites is given.•Special attention was paid to polyaniline composites with CNTs and graphene.•Applicability of ternary PANI composites with metals and/or nonmetals is outlined.

The recent progress made in the period 2010–2012 in the preparation and application of polyaniline (PANI) composites with metals, metalloids and nonmetals is reviewed. A systematic overview of PANI composites with noble (Au, Pt, Pd, and Ag) and non-noble transition metals (Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Ta, Zn, Mn, Zr, and rare earth metal Ce), as well as with main-group post-transition metals (Bi and Al) and alloys, is given. PANI/Si composites were in the focus of this review regarding PANI/metalloid composites, while an overview of PANI/nonmetal composites was focused on PANI/C, PANI/S and PANI/Se composites. Special attention was paid to PANI composites with C nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene. Ternary PANI/metal/nonmetal composites are also comprehensively reviewed from an application point of view.