DC Electrical Conductivity Retention, Optical Properties and Ammonia Sensing Analysis of Naturally Degraded CSA-Doped Graphene/polyaniline Composite Nanofibers Prepared with CTAB

In this paper, we report surfactant-mediated synthesis of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA)-doped polyaniline/graphene (PANI/GN) composite nanofibers as an electrical conductor and excellent ammonia sensor. The synthesis was mediated by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as surfactant. The as-synthesized composite nanofibers were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, tunneling electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, diffused reflectance spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The electrical conductivity of the CSA-doped PANI/GN composite nanofibers was found to be remarkably enhanced as compared to the CSA-doped PANI. The boost in electronic conductivity could be attributed to an improved electronic interaction between CSA-doped PANI backbone and GN present in the composite system. The naturally degraded CSA-doped PANI/GN composite nanofibers showed a decrease in electrical conductivity but worked as a good ammonia sensor in open atmospheric conditions.