The Role of Structure Directing Agents on Chemical Switching Properties of Nanostructured Conducting Polyaniline (NSPANI)

The nanostructured conducting polyanilines was synthesized using single and composite structure directing agents such as sodium dodecyl sulphate, sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate, camphor sulphonic acid by chemical method. The effects of nature and concentration of structure directing agents (both single and composite) on pH characteristics, redox behaviour and solvent pattern were investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, Cyclic voltammetry and Dynamic light scattering. Both concentration and nature of structure directing agents could influence the pH behaviour and workable pH range. The transition from conducting state to insulating state of all nanostructured conducting polyanilines occurred at higher pH than bulk PANI. The Transmission electron microscopy and Dynamic light scattering results showed that the morphology and the dimension of nanostructured conducting polyanilines at the doped and undoped state depended on the nature of structure directing agents used for polymerization. The redox properties were independent of nature and concentration of structure directing agents but electrochemical activity and solution behaviour of nanostructured conducting polyanilines depended on the nature of structure directing agents.