Chemical and electrochemical polymerization of aniline using tartaric acid

Abstract

Polyaniline–tartaric acid (PANI–TA) salts were prepared by chemical polymerization of aniline using four different concentrations of tartaric acid (TA). The polymer salts were characterized by infrared, electronic absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance spectral and conductivity measurements. Both the conductivity and yield of the PANI–TA salts were found to be dependent on the concentration of the TA employed. The conductivity and yield of the PANI–TA salt were found to be 0.2 S cm −1 and 47% respectively. The values of density (1.20 g cm −3) and water absorption (15–16%) were found to be independent of the concentrations of the acid used. Further, cyclic voltammetry was applied to electro polymerize aniline in aqueous TA solution using platinum as the working electrode. The results of the PANI–TA salt were compared with those of polyaniline- p-toluenesulfonic acid (PANI–TSA) salt. PANI–TA salt is slightly more soluble than PANI–TSA salt. The emeraldine salt may contain major amount of salt and little amount of emeraldine base and the emeraldine base may contain little amount of leucoemeraldine along with major amount of emeraldine base.