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 degrees 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.