ZnCl2-induced changes in the electronic properties of polyaniline—HCl salt and its base

The effects of ZnCl2 on the electronic properties of polyaniline—HCl salt and its base were studied for different concentrations of ZnCl2 (0.1, 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 M) for 1 and 5 days. The polyaniline samples were characterized by conductivity and spectroscopic measurements such as UV-Vis, FT-IR and EPR. ZnCl2 treatment results in the degradation of the polyaniline salt and, for the polyaniline base, doping occurs depending on the concentration of ZnCl2. The conversion of polyaniline base to polyaniline salt is less efficient in the case of ZnCl2 doping when compared to doping with HCl. There is no significant change in the properties of polyaniline salt and base with increase in duration of ZnCl2 treatment. The poor charge storage capacity and shelf-life of the polyaniline—zinc cell system can be understood from the present study.