Synthesis and characterization of ternary layered double hydroxide containing zinc/copper/nickel and its PANI composite

Abstract In this study, ternary layered double hydroxide (LDH) containing Zn, Cu, and Ni was synthesized successfully using hydrolysis route. Upon calcination at a lower temperature of 350 °C, the synthesized lattice transformed into ZnO containing Cu and Ni that can be reformed back to the layered structure simply by a phenomenon known as ‘memory effect’. Furthermore, the synthesized lattice was used for the formation of polyaniline (PANI)‐based composite material. The structural and morphological details of the as‐prepared samples were studied using various spectroscopic techniques, that is, powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (SEM–EDX), indicating the formation of single‐phase ternary LDH as well as the successful incorporation of PANI in the interlayer region. Owing to the combined advantages of LDH and conducting polymer (PANI), zinc copper nickel layered double hydroxide (ZnCuNi‐LDH)/PANI composite may be exploited as a potential candidate for a variety of applications in the future.