Fabrication and characterization of hybrid films based on polyaniline and graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet

Hybrid films of polyaniline/graphitic carbon nitride (PANI/g-C3N4) deposited on titanium was fabricated. First, g-C3N4 as a two-dimensional graphite-like structure was synthesized by the stepwise condensation reaction of melamine and cyanuric chloride in the presence of N,N-dimethylmethanamide as a high boiling point nonnucleophilic base. Then composite films of PANI/g-C3N4 were prepared by in situ electrochemical polymerization of an aniline solution containing g-C3N4. Different concentrations of g-C3N4 were utilized to improve the electrochemical performances of the hybrids. The resulting PANI/g-C3N4 composite films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy techniques. The electrochemical performance of the composites was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Application of the prepared samples has been evaluated as supercapacitor material in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution using CV technique. The specific capacitances of PANI/g-C3N4 composite films were higher than obtained for pure PANI films. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44059. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.