An effective and scale-up self-assembly route to prepare the rigid and smooth oligo(o-phenylenediamine) microfibers in acidic solution by NaClO2

Oligo(o-phenylenediamine) (OoPD) microfibers were successfully synthesized in acidic solution by mixing o-phenylenediamine (oPD) and NaClO2 solutions together. As proved by the mass spectroscopy (MS), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1 NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the OoPD is composed of 2,3-diaminophenazine and 2,2'-diaminoazobenzene. Based on the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), these microfibers were observed to be rigid and smooth. However, the smooth microfibers became the saw-like materials when pH value of oPD solution increased. The method used is facile and large-scale. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.