In situ nano-assembly of bacterial cellulose-polyaniline composites

Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinum, consists of ribbon-shaped nanofibers in web-like structures. Polyaniline (PAni) is a conductive polymer, the conductivity of which is related to the synthesis and doping process. In this paper, we report on the in situ nano-assembly of BC nanofibers and PAni to enhance the electronic conductivity. PAni could be synthesized on the surface of BC nano-fibers and assembled into a novel 3D network. The reaction time of polymerization, the types and concentration of doping protonic acids play a major role on the electroconductivity properties of the composites. The electroconductivity of composite hydrogels was enhanced from 10(-8) to 10(-2) S cm(-1), and can be further improved by doping with various protonic acids. The BC-PAni nanofiber composite is an electro-conductive hydrogel that combines the properties of hydrogels and conductive systems, and it may potentially be used for flexible displays, biosensors, and platform substrates to study the effect of electrical signals on cell activity, and to direct desirable cell function for tissue engineering applications.