Charge transfer interactions between polyaniline and surface functionalized polymer substrates

Abstract

Summary form only given. Earlier work has demonstrated that the surface of polyaniline (PAN) films can be rendered self-protonated and conductive via graft copolymerization with acrylic acid (AAc) and styrenesulfonic acid (SSAc). In a parallel development, the surface of conventional polymer films, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), poly(ethylene tetraphthalate) (PET) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) can be functionalized via graft copolymerization with AAc and SSAc. The as-functionalized hydrocarbon and fluoropolyiner surfaces can thus be rendered conductive when coated with the neutral emeraldine (EM) base. The physicochemical properties, such as composition and protonation level, at the EM-functionalized substrate interface were evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that in the presence of surface grafted SSAc polymer, protonation levels in the order of 50% could be readily achieved. Lower protonation levels were observed for EM coated on substrate surfaces grafted with AAc polymer. Other substrate surface funcionalization techniques, such as sulfonation (for LDPE, HDPE and PP) and hydrolysis (for PET) were also expored.