Synthesizing Conducting Poly(Aniline-co-Aminoacetophenone) Nanocomposites based on Polyhydroxy Iron Cation–modified Clay

Conductive clay–polymer nanocomposites were preparedvia the in situ polymerization of aminoacetophenone and/or aniline monomers (at initial “aminoacetophenone:aniline”) in the presence of polyhydroxy iron cation–modified montmorillonite (MMT-PIC). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the characteristic bands of the MMT-PIC polymers/copolymers. The morphological properties analyzed and imaged through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, displayed an increasing interlayer distance with the mass loading of PIC and poly(aminoacetophenone-co-aniline) (poly(AAP-co-ANI)), affording intercalated nanocomposites. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements revealed that the clay experienced a cation exchange of sodium by the PIC, and poly(AAP-co-ANI) was present in large amounts on the nanocomposite surface. The electrical conductivity of the obtained nanocomposites was 5.760 × 10⁻⁵ Scm⁻¹. Moreover, the electrochemical behavior of the polymers extracted from the nanocomposites was studied via cyclic voltammetry; the redox processes indicated that the polymerization into activated carbon produced electroactive polymers.