Fabrication of PANI/ NiCo2O4 /CeO2 Nanocomposite: Preparation and Characterization

Abstract

This study introduces innovative research on synthesizing pure polyaniline (PANI) and a binary nanocomposite via in situ chemical oxidation polymerization. A modified interfacial polymerization technique was used to produce a greenish-black PANI/NiCo₂O₄/CeO₂ nanocomposite. Characterization methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-visible spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) were applied to the nanocomposite. The nanoscale structure of the composite was confirmed through particle size analysis in Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) images, which showed a uniform PANI coating on the NiCo₂O₄/CeO₂ nanocomposite. Infrared spectroscopy identified all the characteristic vibrational bands of polyaniline and additional bands from the spinel metal oxides. XRD analysis verified the presence of NiCo₂O₄/CeO₂, with broader peaks representing polyaniline and sharper peaks indicating the metal oxides.