Synthesis and investigation of flexible conductive nanocomposite polyurethanes/polyaniline doped with NICL2

The present work focuses on the preparation, using a solution process, of flexible conductive nanocomposites based on polyurethane (PU)/polyaniline (PANI) with different mass percentages: 2, 3 and 4%. Because of the low conductivity of the PU + PANI films, these later were doped with inorganic NiCl2. PU + PANI undoped films were synthesized by a one-shot process. For doping process, PANI has been doped according to two different methods: The first one consists of the impregnation of the pristine PU + PANI film in a solution of inorganic salt dopant with a solvent (THF) during a soaking time, while the second method uses a one-shot process. The structural characterization and conductivity properties of the polymer blends were examined by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dielectric measurements spectroscopy. The results show that NiCl2 significatively increases the conductivity compared to pure PU + PANI blends, with better results using the second method of synthesis.

Automated summary

The present work focuses on the preparation of flexible conductive nanocomposites based on PU/PANI with different mass percentages using a solution process. Doping the films with NiCl2 significantly increases the conductivity, with better results obtained using the second method of synthesis.