Conductive and electroactive composite paper reinforced by coating of polyaniline on lignocelluloses fibers

Direct use of lignocelluloses fibers as substrate for fabrication of conductive, electroactive, biodegradable, and low-cost electrode materials are in demand for high-tech applications of ion-exchange and energy storage devices. This article presents the preparation and characterizations of conductive and electroactive lignocelluloses-polyaniline (cellulose/PANI) composite paper. Lignocelluloses fibers were directly collected from the stem of self-growing plant, Typha Angusitfolia, and subsequently coated with the conductive and electroactive layer of PANI through chemical synthesis. Individual PANI-coated lignocelluloses fibers were converted into sheet and further characterized with Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Thermogravimetric Analysis, electronic conductivity, and Cyclic Voltammetry. Cellulose/PANI composite paper revealed superior thermal characteristics and used as a working electrode in three different electrolytes for ion-exchange properties. Conductive composite paper (CCP) showed the charge storage capacity of approximate to 52 C/g at scan rate of 5 mV/s in 2M HCl solution. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42293.