Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline-Polystyrene-Chitosan/Zinc Oxide Hybrid Nanocomposite

A hybrid nanocomposite composed of polyaniline-polystyrene-chitosan/zinc oxide was prepared via a simple in situ polymerization method. The synthesized copolymers were analyzed using Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR), and UltraViolet-Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopies, ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive,  X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The chemical bonding established between polyaniline-polystyrene and polyaniline-polystyrene-chitosan/zinc oxide, confirmed by FT-IR, is likely to be responsible for the enhanced chemical stability. From SEM observation, the ratio of ZnO nanoparticles to nanocomposite altered the morphology of the hybrids from granular to plate-like structure, which was confirmed by EDXS. The thermal property was studied using TG/DTA analysis shows the residual weight (TGA curves) and its weight derivative (DTA curves) of the polyaniline-polystyrene-chitosan/zinc oxide are more stable than chitosan and polyaniline-polystyrene-chitosan. Also, the cyclic voltammetry on the obtained hybrid materials revealed that the plate-like structure was more advantages for electrochemical stability. Overall, the results show that the introduction of the ZnO nanoparticles into the polyaniline-polystyrene-chitosan matrix enhanced the thermal and electrode stability.