Development of modified electrodes with carbon nanotubes and polyaniline composites

Abstract

Materials derived from conducting polymers (CP's) and carbon nanotubes (CNT's) are being increasingly used in nanotechnology. Aiming at applications such as materials, sensors and electrocatalysts the CNT's have the ability to promote electron transfer reactions, increase the reaction rate and decrease the oxidation potential. In turn, the CP's have as main characteristic their electrical conductivity that can be regulated in a wide range, through interactions with recipients and donors of electrons, which makes them attractive as transducers or assets. In addition, composites of CP's with CNT's have synergistic properties as decreased electrical resistance and increase the final specific capacitance. This project has as main objective to develop at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Federal University of São Paulo, electrode materials composites of carbon nanotubes and conducting polymer polyaniline (PAni). The composites are produced with different mass compositions of the components and methods will be tested to obtain by chemical synthesis and electrochemistry. The electrodes will be obtained in the form of films deposited on conductive substrates (ITO, platinum or glassy carbon) or mixed with carbon paste. The composites will be characterized by several techniques such as electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), spectrophotometric (UV-visible and IR) and scanning electron microscopy. (AU)