Conductive surface via graft polymerization of aniline on a modified glass surface

A functionalization with an aniline monolayer of a modified glass surface, followed by the surface grafting of polyaniline (PANI) was used to prepare a conductive surface. A bromopropylsilane monolayer was first generated by reacting a hydroxylated surface with 3-bromopropyltrichlorosilane under an inert atmosphere. This layer was functionalized by its reaction with aniline, which substituted the bromide atoms of the silane chain. Further, the tethered aniline molecules were used as active sites for the graft polymerization of PANI on the surface. The composition and microstructure of the PANI-grafted glass surfaces were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultra-violet (UV) spectroscopy, as well as by contact angle measurements. The surface conductivity of the modified glass surface-grafted with PANI was of the order of 10 S/cm, hence, larger than the usual value (∼1 S/cm) of the bulk PANI.