Application of polyaniline nanofibers and nanocomposites

POLY 112

Christina O. Baker, cbaker@chem.ucla.edu and Richard B. Kaner, kaner@chem.ucla.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Box 951569, Los Angeles, CA 90095
A few years ago it was discovered that rapidly mixing the reactants for polymerization of polyaniline yields water processable colloidal suspensions of nanofibers. These highly stable aqueous dispersions are ideal for composite applications and film formation, which greatly expands the utility of polyaniline. The highly porous films of polyaniline nanofibers or inorganic polyaniline nanocomposites rapidly sense dangerous gasses such as strong acids and bases, H2S and H2. The redox properties of polyaniline allows autoreduction of metal cations such as gold, silver, palladium and platinum to form <5nm nanoparticles, which have an incredibly rapid response in molecular memory devices. Due to the unique photo-thermal response of the colored nanostructures, films can be flash welded into asymmetric membranes to yield a bimorph bending actuator with an unprecedented degree of reversible movement. Recently we have also demonstrated the utility of polyaniline nanofibers and a self-doping derivative in antifouling water purification membranes and electrochromic devices.
 

Excellence in Graduate Polymer Science Research
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Sunday, April 6, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008