Conducting Polymer with Improved Long-Time Stability: Polyaniline-Polyelectrolyte Complex

Abstract

ABSTRACTConducting polymers, e.g. polyaniline, generally lack stability in their electrically conductive form due to heat and moisture induced loss of dopant. Using a template-guided synthesis scheme, we synthesized a polymeric complex of polyaniline and polyelectrolyte that showed stability against dedoping by moisture and heat. The polymeric complex consists of a strand of polyaniline twisted tightly with a strand of polyelectrolyte. The polyelectrolyte in the complex serves as a macromolecular dopant for polyaniline. These two components of the complex are tightly bound so that the dopant is not lost during tests for thermal stability and stability in water and Moisture. Since the dopant is a polyelectrolyte with high linear anion charge density, the complex resists deprotonation by water or weak base (pH < 10).