Deposition and characterization of conducting polymer thin films on insulating substrates

Chemical polymerization of aniline and pyrrole in dilute aqueous solution was used to produce coatings having a conductivity as high as 0.72 and 0.073 S/cm for films having optical absorbance of 0.032 (800 nm) and 0.012 (1000 nm), respectively. Assessment of the stability of the conductivity for films having optical properties of the coatings during weathering, salt fog and humidity exposure showed that there was some loss in conductivity over an eight-day period, but no deterioration in optical transparency. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to determine changes in surface composition and bonding during the environmental exposure tests.