Preparation and characterization of highly transparent conducting composites consisting of acid-doped poly(o-toluidine) and poly(methyl methacrylate)

Composites consisting of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA)-doped poly(o-toluidine ) (POT) and insulating poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) show percolation be havior and the value of percolation threshold to be 4 wt% of conducting CSA -doped POT. The composite was considerably transparent, e.g., the transmitt ance of the composite (similar to 15 um) with 4% of CSA-doped POT and 96% o f PMMA was about 70% at 540 nm. Conductivity at the percolation threshold p oint is attributed to the interconnected network, which was revealed by sca nning tunneling micrographs. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrates four s tep decomposition and phase separated morphology of CSA-doped POT is found to be thermodynamically stable up to 250 degrees C. This was supported by m ass spectra simultaneously recorded in thermal analysis.