Nanoscaled Polyaniline Fibers Prepared by Ferric Chloride as an Oxidant

Summary: Nanoscaled polyaniline (PANI) fibers with 17–30 nm in diameter were successfully prepared by oxidation polymerization using ferric hydrochloride (FeCl 3 · 6H 2 O) as an oxidant in the presence of p ‐toluenesulfonic acid ( p ‐TSA), β ‐naphthalenesulfonic acid ( β ‐NSA), and camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) as the dopants. The resulting nanofibers show smaller diameter, higher crystallinity and conductivity (10 −1 S · cm −1 ) compared with the nanofibers oxidized by ammonium persulfate (APS), which may be due to the lower oxidation/reduction potential of FeCl 3 . SEM images of the PANI nanofibers prepared by oxidation polymerization using ferric hydrochloride as an oxidant. magnified image SEM images of the PANI nanofibers prepared by oxidation polymerization using ferric hydrochloride as an oxidant.