Nanofiber Formation in the Chemical Polymerization of Aniline: A Mechanistic Study

Abstract

Stirring stuff: The morphological evolution of polyaniline from nanofibers to agglomerates during its chemical polymerization shows that the key to producing pure nanofibers is to suppress secondary growth after formation of the nanofibers. A simple and effective method for the synthesis of nanofibers was thus developed in which the polymerization is carried out in a rapidly mixed single-phase reaction (see scheme).