The effect of H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidation system on the morphology, structure and properties of flake-like poly(2,3-dimethylaniline)

In this work, flake-like poly(2,3-dimethylaniline) (P(2,3-DMA)) with enhanced thermal stability and anticorrosive ability was synthesized by in situ polymerization using H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidation system, comparing with traditional oxidant ammonium persulfate (APS) synthetic method. The structure and morphology of the samples were characterized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The experimental results demonstrated that using H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidation system was more inclined to form the two-dimensional P(2,3-DMA) flakes. The enhancement in thermostability and corrosion resistance was attributed to the formation of phenazine-like structures in the polymer chains, which could serve as templates to form the flake-like morphology. In addition, using H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidation system is more environmental friendly than the APS method that can avoid ammonium pollution on aquatic life as well as waters.