Single-walled carbon nanotubes–polyaniline composites: Synthesis and field-emission analysis:

In this article, we report a facile synthesis and comparative analysis of field emission behavior of polyaniline (PANI)-coated as-received and annealed single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films by in-situ polymerization and ex-situ synthesis routes, respectively. Amongst all the samples, the sample prepared by in-situ polymerization method with more fraction of annealed SWCNTs in the composite gave an enhanced field emission characteristics with E (to) = 3 V/mu m and beta = 1.2 x 10(4) probably because of good formation of pi-pi non-covalent bonds between the SWCNTs and PANI represented by pi-pi interaction between the quinoid rings of PANI and pi bond of the SWCNTs lattice. A significant increase in the threshold field is observed after annealing and doping of nanocomposite films. Field emission behavior of as-prepared nanocomposite samples are also analyzed and discussed with two PANI forms: micro-PANI particles and PANI nanofibers. It is also speculated that PANI may have helped in lowering the overall work function of the composite structure which gave an enhanced field emission. The stability of all the samples are also presented and it is analyzed that nanocomposite sample films synthesized by in-situ polymerization method showed a stability for at least 8 h. The surface morphology analysis by field emission scanning electron microscopy of nanocomposite sample films reveal an increase in SWCNTs diameter upon PANI wrapping. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction analysis are also presented.