PREPARATION AND PRELIMINARY CHARACTERIZATION OF A POLY(4-VINYLPYRIDINE) COMPLEX OF A WATER-SOLUBLE POLYANILINE

A polymer complex between a sulfonated water-soluble polyaniline (SPAN I) and poly( 4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) is formed by mixing an aqueous sol ution of the protonated (hydrogen chloride) form of PVP, a cationic po lyelectrolyte, with an aqueous solution of SPANI. A gel-like precipita te forms which has limited solubility in many common solvents. Thus, t he approach represents a possible route to the aqueous solution proces sing of polyaniline. The nitrogen-to-sulfur ratio of the complex indic ates approximately a 1:1 stoichiometry between PVP and SPANI monomer u nits. The complex exhibits modest conductivity (3.3 x 10(-5) S/cm) and is electroactive when immobilized on carbon or platinum electrodes. T he swellability of the gel form of the complex is characterized by a s olvent content of 16 grams per gram of dry material. Thermal analysis of the dry complex indicates stability to 225 degrees C. (C) 1997 Else vier Science S.A.