Electronic state of polyaniline deposited on carbon nanotube or ordered mesoporous carbon templates

Abstract

Abstract Polyaniline (PANI) has been deposited on a carbon template by chemical oxidation of aniline chloride in acidic aqueous medium using sodium persulfate as oxidant. Two kinds of templates were used: array of aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown on silicon substrate and ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) material. Electronic structure of composites was examined using near‐edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Analysis of the spectra showed that PANI developed on the CNT surface is mainly protonated while it contains a marked amount of imine (N) nitrogen when deposited into the porous of OMC. Testing of electrochemical cell indicated enhancement of performance of composite electrodes as compared with unsupported PANI. magnified image XPS N 1s spectra of composites of PANI with OMC material (PANI/OMC) and aligned multiwall CNTs (PANI/CNT).