Synthesis and effect of secondary dopant on the conductivity of conducting polymer polyaniline

Polyaniline (PANI) in its emeraldine salt form was synthesized by chemical method from aniline monomer in the presence of HCl mixed with LiCl and ammonium persulfate as oxidant. Then, a portion of sample was dedoped with NH3 solution and another equal portion was separately postdoped with secondary dopants, such as H2SO4 and HClO4, respectively. Finally, the dried samples of PANI prepared in all its three different forms (emeraldine salt form, undoped emeraldine base, and the two secondary doped forms of PANI) were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity measurement. The cyclic voltammograms of PANI in its emeraldine base (PANI-EB) determined the electrochemical behavior and the growth mechanisms of the polymer. The FT-IR and UV-vis spectra confirmed the expected structural modification up on doping, undoping, and postdoping processes of the polymer. Their measured electrical conductivities were from 0.02 for undoped, 156 for primary doped form, and increasing from 158 to 257 S/cm for those secondary doped PANI. The influence of secondary doping on the electrical conductivity was also investigated from their spectroscopic data which shows dramatic rise in conductivity. The result also shows that secondary doping increased the π conjugation.