Conducting Copolymer/ZnO Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization, and Its Photocatalytic Activity for the Removal of Pollutants

The authors describe the synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites composed of electrically conducting poly(aniline-co-o-aminophenol) [poly(Ani-co-oAP)] copolymer and zinc oxide (ZnO) by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The nanoparticles were used as cores in the formation of nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscopy revealed nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 15–25 nm were dispersed in the copolymer matrix. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of nanocomposites. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the nanocomposite had a higher decomposition temperature than the pure copolymer. UV-vis spectrum of the diluted colloidal dispersion of nanocomposite was similar to those of the pure copolymer. X-ray diffraction showed that the copolymer was crystalline in nature and the crystallinity was unaffected by the addition of ZnO. The room-temperature conductivity of the copolymer increased with the addition of ZnO. The nanocomposite was applied as a photocatalyst for methylene blue (MB) degradation. The result revealed substantial degradation of the MB dye (∼88%) under UV-light illumination. The photodegradation of MB dye was fitted to first-order kinetic model.