EFFECTS OF ION-IMPLANTATION ON THE ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVITY OF POLYANILINE

Polyaniline with a marked environmental stability was bombarded by beams of hydrogen, boron, fluorine, phosphorus and argon ions. All irradiated surfaces displayed substantial changes in physical properties (e.g. electrical conductivity, colour, etc.). The highest measured conductivity was approximately 100 S/cm and the irradiated samples have now been shown to be environmentally stable. The conductivity of the irradiated zone depended upon the deposited electronic energy density and also upon the chemical structure and composition. The radicals appeared prior to nitrogen release when the electronic energy deposition density was at the lower threshold in the irradiated layer. The radical concentration, nitrogen release and carbon richness contributed to the conductivity. Shrinkage and colour changes accompanied by nitrogen release and remnant nitrogen reduction or oxidation and also a higher conductivity value were observed.