Synthesis, characterisation and properties of polyanilines containing transition metal ions

Polyanilines containing transition metal ions were synthesized by oxidizing the complex of aniline with the corresponding metal chloride in solution. The influence of the synthetic conditions such as reaction medium, the molar ratio of reactants, temperature and time on the polymer yield and electrical conductivity was discussed. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy and in-situ UV/Vis spectroscopy. Scanning electron micrograph was employed to examine the morphology of polyanilines synthesized in the presence of different transition metals. Experimental results showed that transition metal ions had been successfully incorporated into the polymer, and there was a strong interaction between the transition metal ions and polyaniline chains. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the thermal stability of polyaniline containing transition metal ions was lower than that of emeraldine base of polyaniline.