The chemical synthesis and characterizations of silver-doped polyaniline: role of silver–solvent interactions

Abstract

In this work, we successfully synthesized silver-doped polyaniline (NPANI-Ag-X; X represents I− and BF4− dopants,) by using chemical oxidation polymerization in various solvent media, which are deionized water, dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran and acetone to give new features into polyaniline (PANI). Then, the solvent effects on the formation of NPANI-Ag-X were investigated. Most of the solvents used in the syntheses show ligand properties and form complexes with metal ions. According to their stability, these complexes can inhibit the reactions of metal ions. Polymer samples were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractions, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometer, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometers, thermal analysis (TGA, DTA) and electrical conductivity measurements. The experimental results obtained show that some properties such as crystallinity, conductivity, metal contents and surface area of PANI polymers have changed with the addition of silver to the polymer. Studies have also shown that these properties can be controlled by the exchange of metal ions and solution media. It was observed that the solvents were effective in adding metal to the polymer and the amount of metal in the synthesized polymers varied depending on the solvent used.