Structure-directing effect of renewable resource based amphiphilic dopants on the formation of conducting polyaniline-clay nanocomposite

The structure-directing effect of two amphiphilic dopants on the nucleation and growth mechanism during the formation of micro/ nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) and polyaniline-clay nanocomposites (PANICNs) is described. PANIs and PANICNs were prepared by in-situ intercalative emulsion polymerization of aniline using the amphiphilic dopants, 3-pentaclecyl phenyl phosphoric acid (3-PDPPA) and 3-pentaclecyl phenOl-4-sulphonic acid (3-PDPSA), derived from cashew nut shell liquid, a renewable resource. These molecules act as intercalating agents, dopants and also as structure-directing agents. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies revealed the formation of lamellar/fibrillar - network in PANI- PDPPA and cylinder/rod morphology in PANI-PDPSA. Experimental data reveal that fibrillar morphology arises from the heterogeneous nucleation followed by an indefinite growth mechanism. On the other hand rod-like structures are formed from the self-assembled rod-like micelle guided polymerization through homonucleation followed by an anisotropic growth mechanism. Electrical conductivity measurement revealed lower conductivities for PANICNs than that of PANIs.