Improved surface properties of polyaniline films by blending with Pluronic polymers without the modification of the other characteristics

Films of conductive polyaniline and amphiphilic Pluronic (P105) copolymer blends were prepared by dissolving the two polymers in N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) followed by a slow solvent evaporation at 55 degreesC. The characteristics of both doped and undoped films were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water droplet contact angles, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetry analysis (TG), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and tensile strength measurements. The surface of the blends became more hydrophilic than that of the hydrophobic PANI film, but the other properties of the blends did not change appreciably for Pluronic content lower than 50 wt%. Compared to PANI films, the more hydrophilic surfaces decreased the amount of bovine serum albumin protein adsorbed. By preventing biofouling, the polyaniline-Pluronic blends can become more useful as biosensors than the polyaniline films. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.