Self-assembled oriented conducting polyaniline nanotubes

Abstract

We report a chemical route capable of making template-free, pure, and oriented polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes (60-130 nm in diameter) in bulk quantities containing azobenzene groups, which exhibited trans-cis photoisomerization upon irradiation with UV light. The specific morphology of the oriented PANI nanotubes with hair-like fibrils on the wall was confirmed by SEM and TEM images. The effects of reaction conditions on the morphology of PANI nanostructures were studied. A 'cylindrical micelle' model based on the interaction between the structure-directing agent (the hydrophobic moiety) and the aniline cations was proposed to interpret the formation of PANI nanostructures.