Synthesis and characterization of polyaniline film with selenium-tellurium composition.

• Main Author: Koh, Bing Sheng.
• Other Authors: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Chemical engineering::Polymers and polymer manufacture; DRNTU::Engineering::Chemical engineering::Industrial electrochemistry
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39415
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The aim of this project is to synthesize and characterize polyaniline film with selenium-tellurium (Se-Te) alloy composition. The composite film was synthesized using lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) direct templating method involving electropolymerization of aniline and electrodeposition of chalcogenide alloy onto polyaniline. A ratio of 50 weight percent surfactant and 50 weight percent of aqueous solution was determined through optical texture characterization to be suitable for producing a hexagonal liquid phase templating mixture. In the first electrochemical step, mesoporous polyaniline film was synthesized from the hexagonal phase LLC templating mixture using potentiostatic and thermostatic deposition method. The polyaniline film deposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass electrode adopted the hexagonal structure of templating mixture. Its surface morphology was investigated using X-ray diffraction pattern and scanning electron microscope. In the second step, Se-Te alloy was deposited onto polyaniline-modified ITO glass electrode through electrochemical reduction process. The composite film of polyaniline and Se-Te alloy was characterized using X-ray diffraction pattern which revealed a hexagonal and amorphous composite film. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy in the wavelength range of 400nm to 800nm indicated that the band gap of the composite film is 1.73eV.