Synthesis of polyaniline-montmorillonite nanocomposites by the mechanochemical intercalation method

Nanocomposites consisting of conducting polyaniline (PANI) and montmorillonite (MMT) were synthesized by the mechanochemical intercalation method. The mixtures of sodium MMT and anilinium chloride were mechanochemically ground in a mortar. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that anilinium cations, which are the monomer of PANI, were intercalated into MMT by a cation-exchange reaction between the sodium cations of MMT and the anilinium cations of anilinium chloride. The basal spacing of the anilinium-MMT intercalation compound significantly expanded from 0.96 to 2.47 nm by adding an excess amount of anilinium chloride. After polymerization by the mechanochemical grinding with ammonium peroxodisulfate in a mortar, a decrease in the basal spacing to 1.33 nm was observed, indicating that PANI was synthesized between the interlayer spaces of MMT. It was further characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The result of thermogravimetric analysis showed the improved thermal stability of PANI due to modification of the incorporated MMT. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.