Electrorheological response of polyaniline and its hybrids

Abstract

AbstractOne of the remarkable applications of conducting polymers is as an electrorheological (ER) fluid which is a smart suspension of polarisable particles dispersed in an insulating liquid with the capacity to effect a phase transition from a liquid-like to a solid-like state. Polyaniline (PANI) and its hybrids with inorganics or other polymers are active candidates for ER materials due to their various advantages, e.g., easy synthesis, controllable conductivity, and less friction than pure inorganics. In this short review, we review recent progress in the synthesis of semi-conducting PANI and its hybrids with diverse morphologies and their ER performance measured by a rotational rheometer using the applied electric field strength. The dielectric properties of these ER fluids, as an important analytical method for their ER performance, are also discussed.