Evolution of Polyaniline Nanotubes:  The Oxidation of Aniline in Water

The course of aniline oxidation with ammonium peroxydisulfate in aqueous solutions has been investigated. The reaction was terminated at various times and the intermediates collected. Besides the precipitates, the films deposited in situ on silicon windows have also been studied. The kinetic course of polymerization is controlled by the acidity level, which changes during the polymerization from pH 8 to a final value close to pH 1. It has two distinct exothermic phases. Gel-permeation chromatography indicates that aniline oligomers are produced at first at high pH, while polyaniline follows after the pH becomes sufficiently low. The growth of polyaniline nanotubes was observed by optical microscopy and confirmed by electron microscopy. The molecular structure of the reaction intermediates was studied in detail by FTIR spectroscopy. Oxidation products are markedly sulfonated, and they contain phenazine units. Aniline oligomers are more soluble in chloroform than the polymer fraction, which contains nanotubes.