1. Rapid one-step chemical synthesis of polyaniline-manganese ferrite nanocomposites without external initiator and mechanical agitation
- Author
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Chimamkpam, Emmanuel F.C., Schweizer, Thomas, Schilling, Andreas, and Ferreira, Jose M.F.
- Subjects
optical properties ,energy harvesting ,magnetic nanoparticles and nanostructures ,7. Clean energy ,biomaterial applications ,renewable energy ,thermal stability ,organic electronics ,lifetime of organic electronics ,nanocomposites ,electrical properties ,nanoparticles ,magnetism and magnetic Materials ,conducting polymers and their nanocomposites ,plant electronics ,UV/Vis spectroscopy ,conducting polymers ,calorimetry ,nanomaterials ,thermal analysis ,energy - Abstract
We describe a rapid one-step, room temperature method to chemically synthesize bulk quantities of nanocomposites comprising specifically of manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) and polyaniline (conductive form). Typically a chemical agent, for example ammonium peroxydisulfate, is used to start the polymerization of aniline in the presence of ferrites, and stirring of the reaction system for several hours is also very common. Our approach allows for the nanocomposites to be formed in less than thirty minutes without adding an external polymerization initiator/surfactant and applying any form of mechanical agitation. This process affords the possibility to grow thin films of polyaniline-MnFe2O4 directly on device substrates. Structural, thermal, magnetic and electrical studies did reveal significant chemical interactions between MnFe2O4 and polyaniline matrix. The nanocomposites are magnetic semiconductors with long rod-shaped structures of average diameter in the nanometer scale range and optical properties resembling that of conductive polyaniline. They exhibit a positive magnetoresistance across all temperature ranges with a minimum at around 250 K, corresponding to the temperature for their uniform-to-irregular transition in dynamic stability behavior and likewise coinciding with a minimum in their profile of electrical conduction mechanism (one-dimensional variable range hopping below 250 K) – these complementarities are important for hybrid spintronic applications., Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF PP002–114711/1; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology FCT PTDC/CTM/099489/2008 ISBN: 978-1-4398-7142-3