ENHANCEMENT OF GROWTH AND ADHESION OF ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER-COATINGS ON POLYOLEFIN SUBSTRATES

The coating of polyaniline (PAN) and polypyrrole (PPY) films on low-de nsity polyethylene (LDPE) substrates was carried out via immersion of the substrate in a reaction mixture of the monomer, an oxidizing agent , and a doping agent or counterion. The effects of the immersion time in the reaction mixture, the doping agent, and the nature of the subst rate's surface were investigated. The coatings were characterized usin g ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectro n spectroscopy (XPS), and conductivity measurements. The substrate's s urface plays a major role in determining the growth and adhesion of th e electroactive film. LDPE grafted with acrylic acid (AAc) greatly enh ances the growth of the electroactive films on the substrate surface. The N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) graft copolymerized LDPE also affect s the growth of the PAN film but not that of the PPY film. Both the AA c and DMAA graft copolymerized substrates promote the adhesion of the electroactive films.