Polyaniline/Silver Nanoparticle-Doped Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composites

A simple method was used to synthesize the hybrid nanocomposites consisting of the functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube composites (MWCNTs) with the polyaniline incorporated silver nanoparticles (a-MWCNT/PANI-Ag) through an emulsion polymerization at room temperature in order to enhance the electrical conductivity of polyaniline. The electrical conductivity of the composite with the incorporated Ag nanoparticles was 5% higher than the same weight percent for the composite without Ag nanoparticles, and the thermal stability was dramatically increased from 54% for the composite (a-MWCNT/PANI) to 69% through the incorporation of the Ag nanoparticles at 830°C. Additionally, the advantages of the Ag nanoparticles, including the improved electrical and thermal properties without damage to the polyaniline structure, were confirmed using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.