Structural and Dielectric Properties of CuCl2 and ZnCl2 Doped Polyaniline

This article addresses the synthesis and characterization of polyaniline (PANI) both in pure and doped forms with various levels of CuCl2 and ZnCl2 in HCl medium where ammonium persulphate was used as an oxidant. Synthesized polymeric materials were characterized spectroscopically (UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Atomic absorption spectroscopy), thermally (Differential scanning calorimetry), and morphologically (Scanning electron microscopy). Free adsorption energy was calculated via Langmuir adsorption isotherm based on the quantities of Cu2+ and Zn2+ cations in both pre- and post-polymerization process where it was found that Cu2+ and Zn2+ are adsorbed physically on PANI surface. The dielectric measurements as a function of frequency and temperature showed that conductivity decreased with increasing doping levels of metal cations at high temperatures. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1862-1868, 2010. (C) 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers