MECHANICAL AND SURFACE STRUCTURE PROPERTIES OF POLYANILINE: SOLVENT/SALT EFFECTS AND IMPLICATIONS TO MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE

摘要

The Tg of polyaniline base is found to be dependent on the solvent system in which the polymer is processed. Films processed from NMP exhibit a Tg of 250 °C. The addition of LiCl or m-cresol to the NMP induces a dramatic decrease in the Tg of polyaniline base. The results indicate that these additives are inducing a morphological change in the polymer. AFM scans of polyaniline processed in NMP exhibit clusters on the order of 100nm whereas a uniform, smooth structure is observed when the additives are included. It is proposed that polyaniline base in the solid state consists of aggregates formed as a result of interchain hydrogen bonding. NMP does not significantly solvate the polyaniline so as to disrupt the interchain interactions and thus the polymer processed in NMP is highly aggregated. Additives such as LiCl and m-cresol can complex the polyaniline thereby disrupting the interchain interactions and thus deaggregate the polymer.