A Review of Electrospun Conductive Polyaniline Based Nanofiber Composites and Blends: Processing Features, Applications, and Future Directions

Abstract

Electrospun polymer nanofibers with high surface area to volume ratio and tunable characteristic are formed through the application of strong electrostatic field. Electrospinning has been identified as a straight forward and viable technique to produce nanofibers from polymer solution as their initial precursor. These nanofiber materials have attracted attention of researchers due to their enhanced and exceptional nanostructural characteristics. Electrospun polyaniline (PANI) based nanofiber is one of the important new materials for the rapidly growing technology development such as nanofiber based sensor devices, conductive tissue engineering scaffold materials, supercapacitors, and flexible solar cells applications. PANI however is relatively hard to process compared to that of other conventional polymers and plastics. The processing of PANI is daunting, mainly due to its rigid backbone which is related to its high level of conjugation. The challenges faced in the electrospinning processing of neat PANI have alternatively led to the development of the electrospun PANI based composites and blends. A review on the research activities of the electrospinning processing of the PANI based nanofibers, the potential prospect in various fields, and their future direction are presented.

RGD functionalized poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(m-anthranilic acid) electrospun nanofibers as high-performing scaffolds for bone tissue engineering RGD functionalized PCL/P3ANA nanofibers

“…There is a growing interest for CPs in tissue engineering applications, since they are biocompatible and can be processed to form nanofibers [17].…”

Recent progress on nanostructured conducting polymers and composites: synthesis, application and future aspects

“…Compared to conventional fibers, electrospinning fibers possess special characteristics, such as high aspect ratio, high surface to volume ratio, controlled length, pore size and superior mechanical properties [11]. PANI nanofibers have been synthesized by many research groups using different methods [75]; however, it was a great challenge to produce neat PANI nanofiber by electrospinning due to poor solubility of PANI in common solvents [76]. Electrospun PANI fibers doped with different levels of acid were synthesized for gas sensing application [77].…”

Tunable Enhancement of a Graphene/Polyaniline/Poly(ethylene oxide) Composite Electrospun Nanofiber Gas Sensor

“…Compared to typical film sensors, electrospun nanofiber sensors provide high specific surface area for greater analyte interaction, two-dimensional diffusion, and efficient electron transport for quick response and fast recovery [6]. Nanofibers are readily doped with functional materials, yielding sensors compatible with many detection methods, including: colorimetric, fluorescent, electrochemical, Raman, and chemiresistor techniques [7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

“…However, processing PANi/HCSA into electrospun nanofibers has proven difficult, due to insufficient molecular adhesion of the polymer, caused by a rigid backbone and low molecular weight [6]. To improve processability, a host co-polymer is added, such as poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), to assist in the electrospinning of PANi-based nanofibers [4,19].…”