Surfactant effects on the polyaniline film

Polyaniline (PANI) film prepared in the presence of surfactant anions, such as sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), was characterized. The conductivity of PANI/SDBS film was 65.9 S cm−1, which is five times higher than that of the parent PANI film without the influence of surfactants. The UV–Vis spectra and X-ray diffraction pattern of the PANI/SDBS film showed increase of polaron delocalization, structural order of polymer chains and higher crystallinity, resulting from the decreased degree of degradation due to the hydrophobic effect of the surfactant molecules on the film growth, and the large surfactant anions immobilized in the polymer backbone and the stabilized polymer chain.