Preparation and characterization of a conjugated polymer and copper nanoparticle composite material: A chemical synthesis route

We report here on a novel in situ synthetic method for the preparation of a poly-(3,5 dimethyl aniline) and copper nanoparticle composite material. 3,5 Dimethyl aniline and copper sulfate were used as the precursors. During the reaction, 3,5 dimethyl aniline oxidizes to form poly-(3,5 dimethyl aniline), while copper sulfate is reduced and forms copper nanoparticles. The structure of the polymer was investigated using UV–vis, IR and Raman analyses. TEM and SEM studies, respectively, yielded the nanoparticle size and the morphology of the composite material.