Facile route to achieve silver@polyaniline nanofibers

Silver@polyaniline (Ag@PANI) nanofibers with length up to several micrometers were achieved through a simple “mix-and-wait” method, where silver nitrate was reduced by aniline in aqueous solution and Ag and PANI were produced simultaneously to form core-shell nanostructure in the absence of any other additives. A thermodynamic-controlled process was considered for the generation of the long fibers of Ag@PANI since the low oxidation ability of silver nitrate to aniline and low reactants concentrations preferred a slow reaction rate. Furthermore, after removing the polymer shell by incubating the Ag@PANI in N,N-dimethylformamide, the 1D Ag core structure kept unchanged and could be found application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering fields.

Graphical abstractThe direct reaction between AgNO3 and aniline led to the well-defined silver@polyaniline nanofibers at room temperature and their application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering was investigated.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Silver@polyaniline nanofibers were obtained via reaction between AgNO3 and aniline. ► This reaction was carried out at room temperature without any additives. ► A thermodynamic-controlled process was considered for the nanofiber generation. ► Removing the polymer shell retained the well-defined 1D Ag cores. ► The 1D Ag nanostructure showed high surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity.