Fabrication of layered graphene-supported in-situ polymerized polyaniline (PANI) crystals as conductive electrode composite for hydrogen production

Abstract. One of the potential routes for hydrogen production is through water electrolysis. Graphene (Gr) – Polyaniline (PANI) coated Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass nano-composite electrode has potential to be a viable alternative to the commonly employed but rare and exorbitant platinum electrode. Well-dispersed graphene paste was synthesized and homogeneously tape- casted on FTO glass cuts in three separate coating layers onto which PANI crystals were grown by in-situ polymerization. The fabricated nano-composite electrode was characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) followed by Raman spectroscopy. It was well- observed that the triple coated electrode promoted the highest growth of PANI crystals onto it as densely coated graphene substrate rendered structural support and highest number of active sites that facilitated in-situ polymerization and subsequent growth of PANI crystals. This observation was supplemented by Raman spectroscopy results that clearly determined active presence of PANI crystals and multi-layered graphene by the analysis of D, G and 2D peaks. The conductivity of the electrode composite was quantified through resistance measurement by a multimeter. By increasing graphene layers from uncoated to triple coated, the average resistivity value reduced from 0.4Ω to 0.1Ω respectively, indicating presence of highest amount of PANI crystals on triple coated electrode thereby making it electro-conductive in order to be utilized for water electrolysis for hydrogen production.