Metal-polymer composites comprising nanostructures and applications thereof

1. A method of forming a metal-polymer composite comprising:

a) providing a thermally-cured dense polyaniline substrate;

b) contacting the thermally-cured dense polyaniline substrate with an acid dopant to form a doped substrate;

c) providing a solution comprising a metal ion; and

d) contacting the solution comprising a metal ion with the doped substrate, whereupon metal nanostructure deposits are formed on the doped substrate, wherein the deposits have a morphology which is dependent upon the acid dopant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver and gold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid dopant is selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid, camphosulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, poly(styrene sulfonic acid), para-toluenesulfonic acid, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructure deposits are sheets, cubes, spheres, needles, rods, or wires.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the nanostructure deposits are wires.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal is silver and the acid dopant is citric acid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal is silver, the acid dopant is para-toluenesulfonic acid, and the nanostructure deposits are wires.

8. A method of forming a metal-polymer composite comprising:

a) providing a thermally-cured dense polyaniline substrate;

b) providing a solution comprising a metal ion and an acid dopant; and

c) contacting the solution comprising the metal ion and acid dopant with the thermally-cured dense polyaniline substrate, whereupon metal nanostructure deposits are formed on the doped substrate, wherein the deposits have a morphology which is dependent upon the acid dopant.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the acid dopant is selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid, camphosulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, poly(styrene sulfonic acid), para-toluenesulfonic acid, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the nanostructure deposits are sheets, cubes, spheres, needles, rods, or wires.

11. A method of performing surface-enhanced Raman spectral analysis of an analyte comprising:

a) providing a a thermally-cured dense polyaniline substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate comprises metal nanostructure deposits and an acid dopant;

b) bringing an analyte into effective contact with said metal-PANI composite;

c) illuminating the metal-PANI composite with radiation of at least one wavelength for causing elemental-state particles to produce a plasmon field and for causing said plasmon field to interact with molecules of said analyte, in such a manner, so as to produce Raman photons; and,

d) collecting scatted radiation emitted from said metal-PANI composite for spectral analysis.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver and gold.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the acid dopant is selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid, camphosulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, poly(styrene sulfonic acid), para-toluenesulfonic acid, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nanostructure deposits are sheets, cubes, spheres, needles, rods, or wires.