Self-assembled polyaniline nanotubes grown from a polymeric acid solution

Polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes were obtained by a self-assembly process, from a solution containing poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) (PMVEA) by oxidative polymerization using ammonium persulfate as the oxidant. The size of the nanotubes was greatly affected by the weight ratio of polymeric acid to aniline as measured by SEM images. The outer diameter of the nanotubes increased from 65 to 160 nm as the weight ratio of PMVEA to aniline increased from 1 to 4 wt/wt%. The structural features of the nanotubes were characterized by FTIR, XPS and EPR spectroscopies, which confirmed the presence of the polymeric acid in the PANI nanotubes and their electronic conductive nature. The electrochemical properties were further analysed using cyclic voltammetry.