Mechanical and surface structure properties of polyaniline: solvent/salt effects and implications to morphological structure

Abstract

The structure of the polyaniline base is probed using mechanical property and surface structure measurements and the effect of solvents such as N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) and m-cresol and salts such as lithium chloride on these properties are investigated. The results of these measurements are correlated to the morphological structure of the polyaniline base. It is found that NMP does not significantly solvate the polyaniline so as to disrupt the interchain interactions and thus the polymer processed in NMP is highly aggregated. LiCl and m-cresol are found to complex the polyaniline thereby disrupting the interchain interactions and thus deaggregate the polymer.