Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Poly(dimethylsiloxane)/Polyindole Composites

A series of composites of polyindole (PIN) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were synthesized chemically using FeCl3 as an oxidant agent in anhydrous media. The composites were characterized by FTIR and UV-visible spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma-optic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), magnetic susceptibility, stress-strain experiments, and conductivity measurements. The conductivities of PIN at different temperatures were also measured and it was revealed that their conductivities were slightly increased with increasing temperature. More-over, the freestanding films of PDMS/PIN composites were prepared by casting on glass Petri dishes to examine their stress-strain properties. From thermogravimetric analysis results it was found that PDMS/PIN composites were thermally more stable than PIN. Thermal stabilities of PDMS/PIN composites increased with increasing PIN content. It was found that the conductivities of PDMS/PIN composites depend on the indole content in the composites. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 1600-1609, 2011