Polyaniline nanofibers prepared with ultrasonic irradiation

A method for the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers presented that could be performed on a large scale using ultrasonic irradiation was discussed. Irregular PANI resulted from the conventional synthesis of PANI because of the secondary growth and agglomeration, and the suppression capability of ultrasonic irradiation was investigated. It was observed that PANI nanofiber morphology can be preserved even with the secondary addition of the monomer and oxidant, if the growth and agglomeration of primary nanofibers are prevented effectively during the polymerization of the aniline. The results show that the nanofibers could be easily dispersed in water by the ultrasonication method, providing several potential applications.