SYNTHESIS OF NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS BASED ON TiO2 NANOTUBES AND POLYMETHYLENE NAPHTHYLENE SULFONATE AND THEIR ELECTROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Abstract
In this study, nanocomposite materials based on titanium dioxide and polymethylene naphthalene sulfonate (PMNS) were investigated. The main objective was to evaluate the enhancement in ionic conductivity of the synthesized TiO₂/PMNS nanocomposites. Key structural parameters—including nanotube diameter, wall thickness, and pore spacing—were measured and statistically analyzed. The experimental results demonstrated that well-ordered titanium dioxide nanotubes were successfully formed at 25 °C from an electrolyte containing 0.5 M ammonium fluoride (NH₄F/EG/H₂O) under an applied voltage of 60 V. The surface morphology of the nanotubes was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their chemical structure was examined by IR spectroscopy. Polymethylene naphthalene sulfonate was synthesized using naphthalene as the starting material. The reaction conditions were optimized, and the molecular structure of the resulting sulfonated compounds was analyzed through quantum chemical calculations. Variation of water content in the electrolyte (2, 10, and 45 %) significantly affected the ionic conductivity of the TiO₂/PMNS nanocomposites. Materials synthesized from an electrolyte containing 2 % H₂O at 25 °C exhibited the highest ionic conductivity.