RESUMEN
Graphene-polyaniline (GP) nanocomposites have demonstrated remarkable ability as supercapacitive materials and are typically synthesized via chemical reduction of graphene oxide/polyaniline (GOP) precursors. We report the formation of novel nanomaterials combining GOP nanocomposites with Laponite nanodisks. Host-guest interactions within GOP systems were studied with and without Laponite nanoparticle templating agents. Incorporating Laponite clay into the composite synthesis enhances aqueous dispersibility as well as facilitates the casting of homogeneous films. Structural and morphological characterization confirmed porous heterointerfaces and control of polymer and nanoclay loading. These results may enable the development of flexible supercapacitive and solar nanocomposites with improved device utility, water dispersibility, and film processability. We demonstrate that these films can be easily cast and that the composites maintain their electrical transport properties.
RESUMEN
Laponite films provide versatile inorganic scaffolds with materials architectures that direct the self-assembly of CdSe quantum dots (QDs or EviTags) and catalytic surfaces that promote the in situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) to yield novel nanocomposites for light emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cell applications. Water-soluble CdSe EviTags with varying, overlapping emission wavelengths in the visible spectrum were incorporated using soft chemistry routes within Na-Laponite host film platforms to achieve broadband emission in the visible spectrum. QD concentrations, composition and synthesis approach were varied to optimize photophysical properties of the films and to mediate self-assembly, optical cascading and energy transfer. In addition, aniline tetramers coupled to CdSe (QD-AT) surfaces using a dithioate linker were embedded within Cu-Laponite nanoscaffolds and electronically coupled to PANI via vapor phase exposure. Nanotethering and specific host-guest and guest-guest interactions that mediate nanocomposite photophysical behavior were probed using electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, optical microscopy, AFM, SEM, powder XRD, NMR and ATR-FTIR. Morphology studies indicated that Lap/QD-AT films synthesized using mixed solvent, layer by layer (LbL) methods exhibited anisotropic supramolecular structures with unique mesoscopic ordering that affords bifunctional networks to optimize charge transport.