Synthesis of hollow polyaniline nanoparticles with reactive template

gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were used as the reactive templates for the fabrication of the hollow polyaniline nanoparticles via the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of hydrochloric acid. The particle size of the doped hollow polyaniline nanoparticles in the emeraldine form was determined by the reactive template. It was found that the reacting temperature played an important role in the formation of the hollow nanoparticles because of the low redox potential of Fe(III) ion. However, the kind of the protonic acids used had no influence on the fabrication of the hollow nanostructure. The formation mechanism of the hollow polyaniline nanoparticles was also proposed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.