In situ polymerization of aniline in electrospun microfibers

Conductive microfibers with an average diameter of ca. 1.0 μm were prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline, in which poly(vinylchloride-acrylonitrile) (PVC-AN) was used as the filament-material in electrospinning to form precursor microfibers and carry the aniline monomers. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) results demonstrated that PANi was successfully polymerized in the microfibers. The morphology of the PVC-AN-PANi microfibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results of differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the polymer composite of PVC-AN-PANi formed via molecular interactions. Although the conductivity of PVC-AN-PANi microfibers was still limited (2.2 × 10−8 S/cm), this method provided an effective and convenient approach for preparing highly uniform and soft microfibrous electrodes.

Graphical abstractConductive microfibers with the average diameter around 1.0 μm were prepared fabricated through in situ polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulfate as the oxidant, in which poly(vinylchloride-acrylonitrile) (PVC-AN) was used as the filament-materials in electrospinning that to form the precursor microfibers and carry the aniline monomer.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide