Polar solvent soluble and hydrogen absorbing polyaniline nanofibers

Polar solvent soluble polyaniline nanofibers were synthesized from aniline in the presence of organic additive such as sucrose, C12H22O11 or sucralose, C12H19Cl3O8, by oxidative polymerization. These nanofibers synthesized in the presence of the additive were soluble in water as well as in other polar organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, DMF and DMSO. We found the nanofibers have hydrogen absorption capability as high as 4.3% at 298 K and 20 atm. The role of the sucrose why it makes the polyaniline nanofibers become soluble and absorb hydrogen is explained, and a hypothesis is proposed about the role of sucrose and how hydrogen can be stored.