POLY 427 |
| Abstract: The dispersability of tunicate whiskers with two different types of surface chemistries in a variety of organic solvents was explored. The presence of negatively charged sulfate ester moieties on the tunicate whisker surface was found to be the determining factor in the dispersability in polar aprotic solvents. Unmodified tunicate whiskers without surface charges did not disperse in polar aprotic solvents. Protic solvents such as formic acid and m-cresol were shown to effectively disrupt the hydrogen bonds in aggregated whiskers, dispersing even the non-charged whiskers and yielding birefringent dispersions of unmodified tunicate whiskers. Stable dispersions of tunicate whiskers with a homogeneous and thin coating of polyaniline were produced by constructive use of specific interactions between the tunicate whiskers and the positively charged PANI/CSA. Dispersions of these electrically conducting high-aspect-ratio nanoparticles were processed into conducting films with good electrical and mechanical properties. |
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7th International Biorelated Polymers Symposium
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster
Sci-Mix
Division of Polymer Chemistry |