THERMAL-ANALYSIS OF ELECTROACTIVE POLYMERS BASED ON ANILINE AND ITS DERIVATIVES - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

The thermal characteristics of polyaniline (PANI), poly(o-aminobenzoic acid) (POABAC) and poly(o-aminobenzyl alcohol) (POABOL) are determined and compared by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The higher thermal stability of POABOL is attributed to heat-induced condensation between the polymer chains. The DSC results suggest both intra- and inter-molecular interaction in the form of hydrogen bonding due to the substituent group in POABAC and POABOL. These interactions, however, occur mainly in the doped from and is greatly reduced when the dopant is expelled from the system at higher temperatures.