Progress in preparation, processing and applications of polyaniline

The present paper reviews the synthesis, processing and applications of polyaniline (PANI). The paper includes the advantages of the intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) over the other conducting polymers and the superiority of PANI among other ICPs. Details are provided of the different methods used for the synthesis of PANI along with a number of special methods used to obtain a nanostructured PANI. A detailed discussion on the mechanism of electrical conduction in PANI and the factors those influence the conductivity of PANI is also included. A discussion on the problems of effective utilization of PANI and the methods adopted to overcome these problems is also provided. Finally, the possible applications of PANI are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.