Synthesis and characterization of SnO2/polyaniline nanocomposites by sol-gel technique and microemulsion polymerization

Nanostructured SnO2 was prepared based on the sol-gel method. Aniline monomer was polymerized by microemulsion polymerization in the presence of nanocrystalline SnO2 to form inorganic-organic nanocomposite materials, in which SnO2 nanoparticles were embedded within porous polyaniline (PAN!). Structural and morphological characterization of SnO2 and SnO2/PANI was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD pattern suggested that PANI did not modify the crystal structure of SnO2. FT-IR spectrum proved that aniline was successfully composited with the nanostructured SnO2. TEM analysis showed that the SnO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of ca. 15 nm were embedded well in the porous PANI. Conductivity analysis indicated that the SnO2/PANI nanocomposites had a higher conductivity than that of the pure SnO2 nanopowders. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.