EMULSION POLYMERIZATION OF ANILINE

High quality polyaniline, PANI, has been made by polymerization of aniline using a direct one-step emulsion polymerization technique. The polymerization is carried out in an emulsion comprising water and a non-polar or weakly polar organic solvent in the presence of the functionalized protonic acid dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid (DBSA). We found that using the emulsion polymerization technique, conducting PANI-DBSA complexes can be produced that exhibit high molecular weight, high conductivity and high solubility in organic solvents in the electrically conducting state. We found, furthermore, that using this technique, in-situ production of PANI-DBSA fibrils can be produced that exhibit a high aspect ratio and an exceptional degree of crystalline order and orientation.