Soluble polyaniline co-doped with dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid and hydrochloric acid

A chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid (ANIDBSA) and aniline hydrochloric acid (ANIHCl) was performed in an aqueous solution because the former monomer stimulates the solubility and the latter the conductive structure of the synthesized polymer. A co-doped polyaniline (PANI) was thus obtained, which is soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, and exhibits, without any additional doping, a higher conductivity than the insoluble HCl-doped PANI compressed pellet, and much higher conductivity than that prepared from pure ANIDBSA. The PANI doped with DBSA and HCl was characterized using FTIR, EDX and UV spectroscopies. At an ANIHCl/ANIDBSA molar ratio in the feed of 3:7 and no additional HCl, the polymer exhibited a maximum conductivity of 7.9 S/cm and a maximum yield of 30.8%. If additional HCl was introduced, the conductivity could reach a value as high as 14 S/cm.