Effects of process parameters on the defects in graphene oxide–polyaniline composites investigated by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Graphene oxide (GO)–polyaniline (PANI) composites were prepared with different relative abundance of PANI and GO by in situ polymerization of aniline in the presence of GO and ammonium persulphate at different temperatures. In the process, GO also got reduced to graphene. Positron lifetimes and coincidence Doppler broadening of the electron–positron annihilation gamma ray spectra originating from the composite samples were measured and the results are reported. The positron lifetimes indicated the presence of very large size defects in the form of vacancy clusters within the samples. Another interesting observation was the increase of relative intensity of the defect specific positron lifetime component when an increase in relative abundance of PANI led to increased reduction of GO to graphene. The reduction also shrank the volume occupied by GO and the free volume thereby released added to the overall defect concentration, resulting in a simultaneous increase of the intensity of the positron lifetime component. The variation of the positron lifetime and its intensity with the synthesis temperature suggested an optimum temperature suitable for the process. The above observations are corroborated by other experimental investigations like electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electrical conductivity.