Low percolation thresholds with the control of equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics of polyaniline-DBSA blends.

Summary form only given. The use of alkylated sulphonic acid dopant provides the possibility of blending conducting complex with matrix polymers without a use of auxiliary solvents. The importance of the long alkyl side chains has already been shown with alkylated polythiophenes; the modification of the interfacial energy due to the hydrophobic alkyl-groups results in solubility of the polymers also in solid state with polymers like ethylene-co-vinylacetates. Further, the control of the non-equilibrium phase separation kinetics preferably through spinodal decomposition results in the creation of multiple percolation pathways with very low thresholds. We have similarly extended our studies to mixing polyaniline-DBSA pair because the alkyl chain in the end of the dopant offers similar hydrophobic effects. Again, we have used ethylene-co-vinylacetates as the matrix polymers as they provide the possibility of the control for the hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity ratio. N-alkylation of polyaniline along with the doping with DBSA has offered us another tool to investigate the importance of interactive forces. Our initial investigations show that a competition between the interactions (either hydrogen bonding or hydrophobic forces), has a great importance in the mixing. Similarly we have been able to control the percolative pathways of the conducting complex through the non-equilibrium phase separation kinetics.