Aging of electrical conductivity in conducting polymer films based on polyaniline

The aim of this work is to present an electrical study of the aging of cond ucting polyaniline-polystyrene (PANl-PSt) blends. Results concerning time d ependence of the electrical conductivity of some samples artificially aged at different temperatures are presented. It is shown that the electrical co nductivity decreases with time with a rate depending principally on the nat ure of the dopant. When aged at the same temperature, similar degradation k inetics are observed as well for doped polyaniline as for PANl-PSt blend. A study of the electrical conductivity variations versus temperature is pres ented for samples which have been aged at the same temperature but for diff erent durations. Experimental results are discussed in the frame of the het erogeneous picture already proposed for nonaged samples. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)04214-6].