Poly(N-methylaniline) vs. polyaniline: An extended pH range of polaron stability as revealed by Raman spectroelectrochemistry

Dynamically Cross-Linked, Self-Healable, and Stretchable All-Hydrogel Supercapacitor with Extraordinary Energy Density and Real-Time Pressure Sensing

Wearable electronics with flexible, integrated, and self-powered multi-functions are becoming increasingly attractive, but their basic energy storage units are challenged in simultaneously high energy density, self-healing, and real-time sensing capability. To achieve this, a fully flexible and omni-healable all-hydrogel, that is dynamically crosslinked PVA@PANI hydrogel, is rationally designed and constructed via aniline/DMSO-emulsion-templated in situ freezing-polymerization strategy. The PVA@PANI sheet, not only possesses a honeycombed porous conductive mesh configuration with superior flexibility that provides numerous channels for unimpeded ions/electron transport and maximizes the utilization efficiency of pseudocapacitive PANI, but also can conform to complicated body surface, enabling effective detection and discrimination of body movements. As a consequence, the fabricated flexible PVA@PANI sheet electrode demonstrates an unprecedented specific capacitance (936.8 F g-1 ) and the assembled symmetric flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor delivers an extraordinary energy density of 40.98 Wh kg-1 , outperforming the previously highest-reported values of stretchable PVA@PANI hydrogel-based supercapacitors. What is more, such a flexible supercapacitor electrode enables precisely monitoring the full-range human activities in real-time, and fulfilling a quick response and excellent self-recovery. These outstanding flexible sensing and energy storage performances render this emerging PVA@PANI hydrogel highly promising for the next-generation wearable self-powered sensing electronics.

Eco-Friendly AMPS-Doped Polyaniline/Urethane-Methacrylate Coating as a Corrosion Protection Coating: Electrochemical, Surface, Theoretical, and Thermodynamic Studies

In this study, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS)-doped polyaniline (PANI) fibers were used as polymerizable smart anticorrosive agents to prepare eco-friendly UV-curable anticorrosive coatings. For this purpose, AMPS-doped PANI fibers were synthesized through chemical oxidative interfacial polymerization. The size and chemical structure of the prepared conducting fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, ¹H NMR, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. As a binder for the prepared conducting fibers, an eco-friendly fluorinated urethane-methacrylate dispersion was synthesized and fully characterized using FTIR analysis. Subsequently, various amounts of the synthesized fibers were mixed with the fluorinated binder to prepare UV-curable anticorrosive coatings. The physicochemical interactions between the PANI fibers and UV-curable binder were studied thoroughly using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyses and measurement of the gel contents and adhesion strength of the prepared composite coatings. The corrosion resistance performance of the prepared coatings was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, and the obtained results revealed that the presence of 2 wt % of the AMPS-doped PANI fibers significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of the obtained coating. In addition, the corrosion layers of the coatings were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which indicated that the AMPS-doped PANI fibers changed the composition of the corrosion product layer. To expand these attempts, this study also explores the interaction of AMPS-doped PANI fibers with the Fe(100) surface using density functional theory as well as atom in molecule calculations. All of the obtained results proved that the outstanding corrosion protection performance of the prepared composite coatings originated from exceptional chemical interactions between the unsaturated doping agents of the prepared PANI fibers and the UV-cured polymer.

Brush-like Polyaniline with Optical and Electroactive Properties at Neutral pH and High Temperature

In this research, a brush-like polyaniline (poly(2-acrylamide-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate)-g-polyaniline)-b-poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (BL PAni) was developed as a strategy to overcome the limited processability and dedoping above pH 4 of conventional polyaniline (PAni). For the BL PAni synthesis, RAFT polymerization (homopolymer), RAFT-mediated surfactant-free emulsion polymerization (block copolymer), and interfacial oxidative polymerization were applied to graft the PAni chains. NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies were performed to confirm the structural elucidation of the reaction pathways, while the thermal properties were analyzed by TGA and DSC. Notably, the BL PAni presents absorption throughout the visible region and up to the near-infrared, showing dedoping resistance at up to 80 °C and at a neutral pH. The absorption range of the BL PAni, block copolymer, and homopolymer were studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy in solid-state and dispersion/solution, highlighting BL PAni and poly(anilinium 2-acrylamide-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate)-b-poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PAAMP-b-PVK) due to the π-stacking between the anilinium and carbazole groups. The cyclic voltammetry confirmed the persistence of electroactivity at a pH near 7.

Autogenous Oxidation/Reduction of Polyaniline in Aqueous Sulfuric Acid

In this work, we have shown through open circuit potential experiments that in aqueous sulfuric acid solutions, a thick polyaniline film undergoes autogenous oxidation when reduced below a threshold potential and autogenous reduction when oxidized above the threshold potential. This phenomenon is associated with the high resonance stability of polarons in long polyaniline chains present in thicker films. We have determined the rates of these reactions using a linear sweep chronopotentiometry technique. We propose that the oxidation reaction of polyaniline produces polarons with a concomitant reduction of hydrogen ions to hydrogen radicals, which further combine with each other to produce the hydrogen molecule in the absence of dissolved oxygen. On the other hand, at high potentials polarons are reduced with the concomitant oxidation of water to hydroxyl radicals. Both the radicals are stabilized due to the interaction of their unpaired electrons with pi-electrons of the aromatic rings of the polymer backbone. At the equilibrium value of the open circuit potential, both the hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals are generated at equal rates and react with each other to form water.

Pseudo-tricolor typed nanobelts and arrays simultaneously endowed with conductive anisotropy, magnetism and white fluorescence

Pseudo-tricolor typed nanobelts and arrays endowed with concurrent strong conductive anisotropy, tuned magnetism and white fluorescence are designed and constructed.