Oxidative degradation of polyaniline during the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in aqueous methanol medium

The course of chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulfate as the initiator in acidic (1 M HCl) aqueous methanol (30 to 70 vol%) was studied spectrophotometrically. It was found that at temperatures greater than about 10 degrees C the reaction leads to degradation of polyaniline, the effect being greater with increasing methanol concentration. This is quite unlike the situation in aqueous ethanol where the product is the usual emeraldine hydrochloride form of polyaniline. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.