ABSTRACT
Nanocomposites consisting of graphene analogous tungsten disulfide (WS2) and polythiophene (PT) were synthesized. Exfoliated WS2 was first prepared by reacting tungstic acid with an excess of thiourea at 500oC under nitrogen flow. The PT-WS2 nanocomposites were prepared by polymerization of thiophene with ferric chloride, in the presence of the exfoliated WS2. The amount of WS2 in the reaction mixture was systematically varied to produce nanocomposite materials ranging from 1 to 20% by mass of WS2. The nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, total reflection X-ray fluorescence and conductivity measurements. It was intriguing to observe that the nanocomposites exhibited enhanced electronic conductivity when compared either to the pure polymer, or to the exfoliated WS2. The synthesized nanocomposites could potentially be used as electrodes in lithium ion batteries.
