Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with both Gold Nanoparticles and Polythiophene

Abstract

This paper reports a simple, one-step procedure to synthesize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) decorated simultaneously with gold nanoparticles and polythiophene, without previous CNT surface functionalization. The method involves the reaction between an aqueous solution of HAuCl4 and thiophene in an aqueous dispersion of carbon nanotubes. CNTs act as seeds for the beginning of the reaction in a heterogeneous nucleation process in which both the Au nanoparticles and polythiophene grow directly on the CNTs surface.