Submicrometric fibrillar structures of codoped polyaniline obtained by co-oxidation using the NaClO/ammonium peroxydisulfate system: Synthesis and characterization

A mixture of ammonium peroxydisulfate and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) (co-oxidating system) were used to obtain polyaniline (PANi) doped with HCl and camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) (co-doping). The effect of HCl/CSA ratio added during polymerization on structure, morphology and electrical conductivity of the conducting polymer was investigated. When NaClO is used, the polymerization rate is substantially increased and the morphology changes from micrometric granular to nanometric fibrillar. CSA was used as complementary dopant but also to improve the solubility of PANi in common solvents. However, results suggest that quinone-like heterocycles containing carbonyl radicals as well as phenazine-type aromatic rings might be impeding an efficient doping in detriment of the conductivity.