Two-steps synthesis of a poly(acrylate–aniline) conducting hydrogel with an interpenetrated networks structure

A two-steps aqueous polymerization method is used to prepare poly(acrylate–aniline) conducting hydrogel. When the preparation conditions for the second step were optimized as mass ratio of acrylic acid monomer to aniline monomer 12, mass ratio of initiator to aniline monomer 1.0, concentration of aniline 1.0 wt%, reaction at 20 °C for 6 h, the hydrogel with water absorbency of 150 times possessed a conductivity of 2.33 mS cm−1. The influence of initiator, aniline monomer, acrylic acid monomer, reaction temperature and time on the conductivity of hydrogel was investigated. An interpenetrated networks structure model with a three-dimensional network of polyacrylate and a one-dimensional chain of polyaniline for poly(acrylate–aniline) conducting hydrogel was proposed.