A new route for the preparation of flexible skin–core poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid)/polyaniline functional hybrids

Abstract

a b s t r a c tSurface modification of polymeric films is a way to obtain final products with high performance for many specific and ad hoc tailored applications, e.g. in functional packaging, tissue engineering or (bio)sensing. The present work reports, for the first time, on the design and development of surface modified ethyleneacrylic acid copolymer (EAA) films with polyaniline (PANI), with the aim of inducing electrical conductivity and potentially enable the electronic control of a range of physical and chemical properties of the film surface, via a new ''grafting from'' approach. In particular, we demonstrate that PANI was successfully polymerized and covalently grafted onto flexible EAA substrates, previously activated. The final hybrid materials and the corresponding intermediates were fully characterized via FTIR, XPS, SEM-EDAX, mechanical and electrical tests. The mechanical properties of the films are not detrimentally affected by each treatment step, while a significant increase in electrical conductivity was achieved for the new hybrid materials.

Electrical Switchability and Dry-Wash Durability of Conductive Textiles

“…The presence of the absorption peak at 1722 cm −1 , which is assigned to the C = O stretching vibration, demonstrates that polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) chains have been successfully grafted onto the cotton fabric via gamma-ray irradiation-induced polymerization. The peaks at 1518 cm −1 and 823 cm −1 , which are assigned to the stretching vibration and deformation vibration of the para-substituted benzene ring on the APGC fabric, respectively 35 36 , indicate that APA is attached to the PGMA chains during the amino-epoxy ring cleavage reaction. Evidence of the grafting of PANI on the APGC fabric (APGC-g-PANI fabric) is obtained by the appearance of obvious peaks at 1583 cm −1 and 1492 cm −1 , which are attributed to the aromatic ring breathing of the nitrogen quinoid structure and benzoid ring in aniline oligomers, respectively 35 37 .…”

“…Finally, the surface of the fibers changed to a granular microstructure ( Fig. 3d,d’ ) as a result of the supramolecular assembly of the PANI macromolecules growing from the phenylamino end of the APGC fabric 36 . Further, the fibers of the fabric were found to be finely covered by the grafted PANI layer, which would impart electrical conductivity to the cotton fabric.…”

High performance PA6/CNTs nanohybrid fibers prepared in the melt

“…Composites containing 2 wt.% of CNTs were prepared in a batch mixer (Brabender PLE330) equipped with a mixing chamber of 50 cm 3 . The temperature was 240°C, the rotational speed was 64 rpm and the processing time about 5 min, enough to achieve a constant value of the mixing torque.…”

“…Some attempts to combine a flexible support with ICPs were also investigated but, despite some positive results, the control of the process appeared difficult and requested the presence of a solvent [3].…”

E-beam crosslinked, biocompatible functional hydrogels incorporating polyaniline nanoparticles

“…The main drawback of polyaniline in its conductive form (protonated emeraldine) is its difficult processability, owing to the low solubility in both aqueous and organic solvents and its infusibility, as well as the intrinsic poor mechanical properties. To overcome these limitations, PANI is often produced in the form of colloidal nanoparticles by recourse to suitable surfactants (Stejskal and Sapurina, 2004) or blended with other, generally insulating, polymers (Cho et al, 2004) or synthesized in situ onto functionalized substrates (Scaffaro et al, 2011).…”