Conducting polymer hollow nanostructures by surfactant-free Ouzo emulsion for an exceptional EMI shielding performance

Abstract

Hollow or partially collapsed bowls of conducting polymers, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), polypyrrole (Ppy), polyaniline (PANI), and polythiophene (PT), have successfully been synthesized by surfactant-free Ouzo emulsion. The stable Ouzo region has been identified based on three-component phase diagram of FeCl3·6H2O as an oxidant, acetone as solvent, and toluene as anti-solvent, respectively. The solvent/oxidant mixture forms emulsion droplets in anti-solvent medium spontaneously without any surfactant. It is the very first report on the generation of Ouzo state in the chemical oxidative polymerization systems of conducting polymers. Cast thin film of the synthesized conducting polymer hollow nanostructures was infiltrated with commercial PEDOT:PSS solution for the formation of composite structures, where the highly conductive networks of PEDOT:PSS ensures electrical conductivity. In the meanwhile, the embedded hollow nanostructures enable multiple scattering of incident electromagnetic wave. A thin (∼6 μm) composite film shows exceptional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of ∼75 dB in X-band (8–12 GHz). Furthermore, thanks to low density of hollow conducting polymer nanostructures, thickness-normalized specific shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) shows the highest value compared to other materials published in literature. The hollow nanostructures of conducting polymers, formed using surfactant-free Ouzo emulsion, may find broader applications thanks to its simple and contaminant-free nature.