New approaches to the study of polyaniline

Freestanding films of polyaniline (PANI) base were fabricated from N,N′-dimethyl propylene urea (DMPU) solution by both casting and spin coating procedures with subsequent drawing. A new near infrared wave guide coupling technique was used to determine the three dimensional refractive indices and symmetry axis direction of the anisotropic films. Quantitative infrared dichroism measurements were made on the same films. A direct correlation was predicted and observed between the measured birefringence and the infrared dichroic function of the PANI absorption bands studied. The three dimensional molecular anisotropy developed by the different fabrication and deformation procedures were compared and found to differ.