Electroactive polymer patterns with metal incorporation on a polymeric substrate

Electroactive polymer patterns on a polymeric substrate were fabricated using either a UV lithographic approach or plasma polymerization method. For the lithographic patterning technique, photosensitive thin films comprising polyaniline (PANI) coatings on viologen‐grafted low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) substrates were first prepared. The composite film was subsequently exposed to UV irradiation through a mask. Under UV irradiation, reactions between PANI and viologen occurred, resulting in the conversion of the PANI to a doped state. The PANI micropatterns were developed by using N‐methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) to dissolve the soluble‐unexposed (and hence undoped) parts. The use of Ar plasma treatment of the composite film instead of UV irradiation was not successful in inducing the doping reaction between PANI and viologen. On the other hand, plasma polymerization was shown to be another convenient way for the selective surface deposition of aniline polymer on the surface of the LDPE substrate through a mask. The further incorporation of metal/metal ions in both the PANI‐viologen and plasma polymerized aniline system was successfully carried out on the micropatterns. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:2061–2069, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Synthesis of polyaniline nanostructures in micellar solutions

Polymerization of aniline nanoparticles was carried out in aqueous micellar solutions of surfactants, including anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate), nonionic (nonyl phenol ethoxylate), and cationic (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) surfactants. The size and morphology of these synthesized PANI nanoparticles strongly depended on the structure of the surfactants used in the formation of micelles, as shown by transmission electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction were used in the characterization of the synthesized PANI nanoparticles. The PANI nanoparticles revealed enhanced conductivity compared to conventional bulk PANI. In addition PANI–poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites were synthesized. The results revealed that the PMMA nanoparticles retarded thermal decomposition and enhanced the conductivities compared with pristine PANI nanoparticles. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Comparison between different conditions of the chemical polymerization of polyaniline on top of PET films

Composites produced during the in situ chemical polymerization of aniline on top of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film, in different conditions, were studied by open‐circuit potential (Voc), ultraviolet‐visible, and infrared spectroscopy, electrical conductivity measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The polymerization monitoring by Voc showed a maximum associated with the intermediate pernigraniline oxidation state and a final formation of polyaniline (PANI) in the doped emeraldine salt (ES) form. Furthermore, high electrical conductivity values were obtained for the PANI–ES coating prepared under selected conditions. A globular formation was observed for the doped PANI–ES coating with globules of sizes of the same order and same shape of the PET, demonstrating the influence of the substrate on the coating morphology. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 1220–1229, 2001     

Preparation of nanosize polyaniline by solid‐state polymerization and determination of crystal structure

BACKGROUND: Nanosize polyaniline has several advantages in both the fabrication of nanodevices and for preparing nanoscale electrical connections in highly conducting polymer composites. RESULTS: Nanosize polyaniline with a diameter of 30–60 nm was prepared using a solid‐state polymerization process (PANI‐S) by mixing an equimolar quantity of ammonium persulfate and anilinium chloride crystals with a mortar and pestle. Polyaniline was also synthesized using a conventional oxidative polymerization method (PANI‐C) in an aqueous medium for comparison. Conductivity and contact angle measurements, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were carried out. An in‐depth investigation of the crystal structure of these polymers was carried out through powder X‐ray diffraction analysis. CONCLUSION: PANI‐S exhibited lower conductivity due to the presence of less emeraldine base form, lower crystallinity, greater d‐spacing and greater inter‐chain separation than PANI‐C. The hydrophilicity and thermal stability of PANI‐S were higher than those of PANI‐C. The unit cell volume of PANI‐S was much higher, resulting in a larger crystallite size and a greater number of atoms in the unit cell than PANI‐C. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Ni2+ as a codopant on the structure,morphology, and conductivity of nanostructured polyaniline

One‐dimensional nanostructures of polyaniline (PANI) doped with (1S)‐(+)‐10‐camphorsulfonic acid (D‐CSA) alone and with NiCl₂ as a codopant were synthesized via in situ polymerization. PANI nanofibers with diameters of about 200 nm were formed when PANI was doped with D‐CSA only. When NiCl₂ was added as a codopant, the morphology of PANI obviously changed. The effects and related mechanisms were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction, and the results indicated that Ni²⁺ destroyed the micelles' structure by chemical conjunction with ? SO₃H groups in camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) molecules, which were the key component in forming the CSA–aniline micelles. The combination between Ni²⁺ and SO in CSA with a lower addition of Ni²⁺ led to a reduction of CSA doping to PANI, but a higher loading of Ni²⁺ brought about the direct doping of Ni²⁺ to PANI, which caused a higher degree of doping and oxidation. The conductivity of PANI increased almost linearly with increasing Ni²⁺. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Electrochemical copolymerization of aniline and anilinesulfonic acids in FSO3H/acetonitrile solution

The effects of 2‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid (orthanilic acid), 3‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid (metanilic acid), and 4‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid (sulfanilic acid) on the electropreparation and properties of polyaniline (PANI) were investigated in acetonitrile containing 200 mM fluorosulfonic acid. The cyclic voltammetric studies of the products showed characteristics similar to those of conventional PANI in neutral solution, but there was a significant difference between the electrochemical behavior of the polymer films in basic solution. The sulfur‐to‐nitrogen ratios were found to be about 0.50, which indicated that copolymers were formed. The copolymers were soluble in a basic aqueous solution and in 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone and dimethyl sulfoxide solvents. The dry electrical conductivity values of the copolymers were measured. The structure and properties of these conducting copolymers in acetonitrile were elucidated with cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1227–1235, 2002     

Synthesis and properties of polyaniline nanolayers in the presence of retinol in aqueous ethanol

Polyaniline (PANI) nanolayers were shown to form spontaneously during the chemical oxidation in the presence of retinol using pure water and aqueous ethanol as reaction media. The effects of the retinol, the volume fraction of ethanol, and the acidity of the polymerization medium on the D.C. conductivity of PANI were investigated through two‐probe method at room temperature. The introduction of 0.2 g retinol improved the D.C. conductivity value of PANI to 3.0 S/cm in pure water and 4.46 S/cm in 50% aqueous ethanol when the H⁺ concentration was 0.5M. The D.C. conductivity values were 5.1 and 5.49 S/cm when the concentration of H⁺ was 1.0M in pure water and 2.5M in 50% aqueous ethanol, respectively. The products were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, cyclic voltammetry, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. Moreover, the resulting PANI nanolayers exhibited an unusual electromagnetic loss at the microwave frequency (f = 8.2–12.4 GHz) and it arose from order arrangement of polaron as charge carrier caused by nanolayers morphologies and the materials can be used for the potential application as microwave absorbing materials. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Doping effects of cerium ion on structure and electrochemical properties of polyaniline

Polyaniline (PANI)/Ce³⁺ and PANI/Ce⁴⁺ composites were successfully prepared by in situ polymerization in an aqueous solution of poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid) and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, SEM, TEM and electrochemical methods. The results showed that the PANI/Ce ion composites had a high degree of sphericity, high electrical conductivity and good electrochemical performance. The conductivity of PANI/Ce(NO₃)₃ reaches a maximum of 46.76 S cm^?1 at 20 wt% of Ce(NO₃)₃. It is increased by 377% by comparison with that of pure PANI. In particular, the polarization results showed that the corrosion current density (0.47 µA cm^?2) and the inhibition efficiency (97%) of PANI/Ce(NO₃)₃ were better than the results for PANI and PANI/Ce(SO₄)₂ composite. This suggested that the PANI/Ce(NO₃)₃ composite has promising applications in conductive materials, anticorrosion coatings and other related fields. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Polyaniline/polyimide blends as gas sensors and electrical conductivity response to CO–N2 mixtures

The effects of dopant type, doping level, polyimide (PI) content and temperature on electrical conductivity response of polyaniline (PANI) and polyaniline/polyimide (PANI/PI) blends to CO–N₂ gas mixtures were systematically investigated. At the same doping level, HNO₃‐doped PANI has a greater electrical conductivity response and sensitivity towards CO than that of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA)‐doped PANI because the former has a more ordered structure. The interaction mechanism between CO and PANI is proposed to occur at the attack site, ? N?H? or the amine nitrogen where CO withdraws an electron. Addition of PI causes a small change in electrical conductivity under atmospheric conditions when PI content is below the percolation threshold value of 55 wt%. Addition of PI reduces brittleness and improves electrical conductivity sensitivity towards CO; the effect is more pronounced at higher temperatures. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Facile preparation of conductive paint made with polyaniline/dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid dispersion and poly(methyl methacrylate)

We investigated an easy way to prepare industrially a conductive paint made with polyaniline (PANI)/dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) dispersion and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in organic media. First, water‐dispersible PANI doped with DBSA was chemically synthesized with aniline sulfate using ammonium persulfate in water, and the resulting PANI/DBSA was readily extracted from the reaction medium with a mixture of toluene and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) (toluene:MEK = 1:1 (v/v)), which is useful for industrial applications. The obtained PANI/DBSA organic dispersion was mixed with PMMA organic solution to give the corresponding PANI/DBSA conductive paint containing PMMA. A film prepared with the resulting PANI/DBSA conductive paint was found to possess relatively good conductivity and low surface resistivity for a conductive paint utilized for an electrostatic discharge even at low PANI/DBSA content in the PANI/DBSA–PMMA composite film (the conductivity and the surface resistivity were 9.48 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 and 3.14 × 10⁶ Ω cm^?2, respectively, when the feed ratio of PANI/DBSA:PMMA was 1:39 (w/w)). Furthermore, it was found that the conductivity of the film composed of PANI/DBSA–PMMA composite can be readily and widely controlled by the PANI/DBSA content of the composite or by the amount of DBSA used during the PANI/DBSA synthesis. The highest conductivity of PANI/DBSA–PMMA composite film (7.84 × 10^?1 S cm^?1) was obtained when the feed ratio of PANI/DBSA:PMMA was 1:4 (w/w). Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,characterization, and comparison of self‐doped,doped, and undoped forms of polyaniline,poly(o‐anisidine), and poly[aniline‐co‐(o‐anisidine)]

Polyaniline (PANI), poly(o‐anisidine), and poly[aniline‐co‐(o‐anisidine)] were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization with ammonium persulfate as an oxidizing reagent in an HCl medium. The viscosities, electrical conductivity, and crystallinity of the resulting polymers (self‐doped forms) were compared with those of the doped and undoped forms. The self‐doped, doped, and undoped forms of these polymers were characterized with infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and a four‐point‐probe conductivity method. X‐ray diffraction characterization revealed the crystalline nature of the polymers. The observed decrease in the conductivity of the copolymer and poly(o‐anisidine) with respect to PANI was attributed to the incorporation of the methoxy moieties into the PANI chain. The homopolymers attained conductivity in the range of 3.97 × 10^?3 to 7.8 S/cm after doping with HCl. The conductivity of the undoped forms of the poly[aniline‐co‐(o‐anisidine)] and poly(o‐anisidine) was observed to be lower than 10^?5 J/S cm^?1. The conductivity of the studied polymer forms decreased by the doping process in the following order: self‐doped → doped → undoped. The conductivity of the studied polymers decreased by the monomer species in the following order: PANI → poly[aniline‐co‐(o‐anisidine)] → poly(o‐anisidine). All the polymer samples were largely amorphous, but with the attachment of the pendant groups of anisidine to the polymer system, the crystallinity region increased. The undoped form of poly[aniline‐co‐(o‐anisidine)] had good solubility in common organic solvents, whereas doped poly[aniline‐co‐(o‐anisidine)] was moderately crystalline and exhibited higher conductivity than the anisidine homopolymer. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Doping effect of organic sulphonic acids on the solid‐state synthesized polyaniline

Polyaniline (PANI) salts doped with organic sulfonic acids (methanesulfonicacid, p‐toluenesulphonic acid, and dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid) were first synthesized by using solid‐state polymerization method. The polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, ultraviolet‐visible spectrometry, X‐ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and conductivity measurements. It was found that PANI doped with p‐toluenesulphonic acid is formed in conductive emeraldine oxidation state, and displayed higher doping level and cyrstallinity. On the contrary, PANI doped with dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid was lower at doping level and highly amorphous. In accordance with these results, the conductivity and electrochemical acitivity was also found to be higher in p‐toluenesulphonic acid‐doped PANI, and these properties were opposite in the case of dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid. The results also revealed that the morphology of dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid‐doped PANI was remarkably different from other PANI salts. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Melt/solution processable polyaniline with functionalized phosphate ester dopants and its thermoplastic blends

Polyaniline (PANI) was doped with five novel dopants, 3‐pentadecylphenylphosphoric acid (PDPPA), pentadecylphenyl(bis)phosphoric acid [PDP(bis)PA], monocardanylphosphoric acid (MCPA), dicardanylphosphoric acid (DCPA), and phosphorylated cashew nut shell liquid prepolymer (PCNSL) and the doping behavior was studied. All dopants were synthesized from inexpensive naturally existing monomers [obtained from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL)] having a long hydrophobic hydrocarbon side chain in the meta position of the aromatic ring. These dopants can act as plasticizing cum protonating agents for PANI so that free‐standing films of PANI could be prepared by both thermal processing and solution processing techniques. Protonation was performed either by mechanical mixing of emeraldine base and the dopant or by an in situ doping emulsion polymerization route using xylene or chloroform as the solvent. Further, conductive flexible blends of the protonated PANI with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were also prepared and studied for their conductivity and related properties. The PANI–PDPPA complex obtained by the in situ doping emulsion polymerization route exhibited an exceptionally high degree of crystalline order and orientation. A maximum conductivity value of 1.8 S cm^?1 was obtained for a PANI–PDPPA film hot‐pressed at 120°C. On the other hand, dopants based on cardanol having an unsaturated side chain gave only lower values. This was understood to be due the capability of the saturated analog to contribute to the ordered arrangement of PANI, thus improving the crystallinity. The conductivity values further decreased when bulky/oligomeric dopants such as PCNSL were used. The thermoplastic blends with PVC exhibited an exceptionally low‐level percolation threshold because of the plasticizing nature of the dopants. The doped polymers and blends were characterized by FTIR and UV‐visible spectroscopic methods, four‐probe conductivity measurements, XRD, SEM, TGA, and DSC. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1354–1367, 2001     

Corrosion protective bi‐layered composites of polyaniline and poly(o‐anisidine) on low carbon steel

Bi‐layered composites of polyaniline (PANI) and poly(o‐anisidine) (POA) were investigated for corrosion protection of low carbon steel (LCS). In this work, homopolymers and bi‐layers of PANI and POA were electropolymerized on LCS from an aqueous salicylate solution by using cyclic voltammetry. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion tests were carried out in aqueous 3% NaCl solution for LCS coated with PANI, POA, bi‐layered POA/PANI (POA on top of the PANI) or PANI/POA (PANI on top of the POA) composites using open circuit potential (OCP) measurements, potentiodynamic polarization technique, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The single layer of PANI and POA protected the LCS in 3% NaCl for 8 and 16 h, respectively. The bi‐layered composite coatings provide effective protection to LCS for a longer time than a single layered PANI or POA coating. However, the corrosion protection offered to LCS depends on the deposition order of polymer layers in the composite. The PANI/POA composite provides better protection to LCS against corrosion than POA/PANI coating. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Photoresponsive polymeric systems: 1. Mixed monomolecular films of some synthetic polymers and indolinospiropyrans

The properties of mixed monolayer films of photochromic indolinospiropyrans and poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinyl stearate) (PVSt), and poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP) have been studied. It was found that reversible photoinduced changes in monolayer surface-pressure with time occurred in collapsed systems and in mixed films in which the photochrome had been forced out of the polymer monolayer. Mixed films of P2VP and a spiropyran of particular structure could have their inherent stability increased under the action of ultraviolet irradiation on aqueous subphases. This effect appeared to be related to the formation of a physically crosslinked photomerocyanine-polymer two-dimensional network.     

Room temperature preparation,electrical conductivity,and thermal behavior evaluation on silver nanoparticle embedded polyaniline tungstophosphate nanocomposite

An advanced nanocomposite, polyaniline tungstophosphate (PANI‐WP) cation exchanger, was synthesized by simple solution method and treated with silver nitrate resulting silver embedded PANI‐WP (PANI‐WP/Ag). Spectroscopic characterization of PANI‐WP/Ag was carried out by scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV‐Visible spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. Electrical conductivity measurements and thermal effect on conductivity of PANI‐WP/Ag was studied after acid treatment. The dc electrical conductivity was found 3.06 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ for HCl doped, measured by 4‐in line‐probe dc electrical conductivity measuring technique. Thermal conductivity is stable with all temperatures in isothermal studies showing excellent stability of PANI‐WP/Ag material. Hybrid showed better linear Arrhenius electric conducting response for semiconductors, stable upto 120°C. It was observed that conductivity is at the border of metallic and semiconductor region. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2460–2466, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Dependence of the electrical conductivity and elastomeric properties on sample preparation of blends of polyaniline and natural rubber

Blend films (free‐standing) containing 20% in volume of polyaniline (PANI) in 80% of natural rubber (NR) were fabricated by casting in three different ways: (1) adding PANI‐EB (emeraldine base) dissolved in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) to the latex (NRL), (2) adding PANI‐EB dissolved in m‐cresol to NR dissolved in xylol (NRD), (3) overlaying the surface of a pure NR cast film with a PANI layer grown by in situ polymerization (NRO). All the films were immersed into HCl solution to achieve the primary doping (protonation) of PANI before the characterization. The main goal here was to investigate the elastomeric and electrical conductivity properties for each blend, which may be applied as pressure and deformation sensors in the future. The characterization was carried out by optical microscopy, dc conductivity, vibrational spectroscopy (infrared absorption and Raman scattering), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and tensile stress–strain curves. The results suggest that the NRL blend is the most suitable in terms of mechanical and electrical properties required for applications in pressure and deformation sensors: a gain of conductivity without losing the elastomeric property of the rubber. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1498–1503, 2005     

Synthesis and studies of exceptionally crystalline polyaniline thin films

Highly crystalline camphor sulfonic acid (CSA)‐doped polyaniline (PANI) thin films cast from m‐cresol and N‐methylpyrrolidone (NMP) were investigated. PANI powder prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization subjected to doping–de‐doping–re‐doping procedures was cast into thin films using NMP and m‐cresol as solvents. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the presence of exceptionally highly crystalline or rather ordered regions in the PANI film samples prepared from m‐cresol. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images also support the presence of crystalline regions on the surface of these films. The DC electrical conductivity of m‐cresol‐cast PANI is found to be quite high, and much higher than that of NMP‐cast PANI. The free‐carrier absorption tail extending to the near‐infrared region observed in the optical absorption spectrum of the m‐cresol‐cast PANI films suggests a metallic nature and regular structural arrangement in these films. Both inter‐chain and intra‐chain ordering brought about as a result of CSA doping, secondary doping effect of m‐cresol and ultrasonication are suggested to be the prime factors contributing towards the observed excellent crystallinity of these PANI films as evident from the XRD and AFM studies. The marked thermal stability of the m‐cresol‐cast PANI films is also established based on the variation of DC electrical conductivity with temperature and on thermogravimetric analysis. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of microstructural functional polyaniline layers on SPEEK/HPW proton exchange membranes

In this study, a method is developed to fabricate sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone)/phosphotungstic acid‐polyaniline (SPEEK/HPW‐PANI) membranes by in situ polymerization of aniline for the purpose of decreasing the weight loss of HPW in the membranes. The synthesis involves the production of a SPEEK/HPW hybrid membrane followed by different layer of PANI coatings on the membrane surface, and subsequent treatment using drying in vacuum procedures. The scanning electronic microscopy images showed that HPW had good compatibility with SPEEK polymers and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy revealed the successfully doping with HPW and polymerization of PANI. The surface of SPEEK/HPW‐PANI becomes more compact than that of SPEEK/HPW and pure SPEEK, which may lead to reduce the water uptake and swelling property. The proton conductivity was found for the SPEEK/HPW‐PANI‐5 composite membrane (91.53 mS/cm at 80°C) higher than that of pure SPEEK membrane (68.72 mS/cm at 80°C). Better thermal stability was determined in both SPEEK/HPW and SPEEK/HPW‐PANI membranes than pristine SPEEK membrane. Therefore, PANI is a good potential coating for organic–inorganic hybrid e.g. SPEEK/HPW membrane materials to improve their hydrothermal stable properties and SPEEK/HPW PANI is a material that shows promise as a proton exchange membranes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41033.     

Photo‐induced protonation and conductivity of polyaniline/poly(ethylene glycol) and polyaniline/[poly(ethylene glycol)‐grafted polyaniline] composites

Composites of polyaniline in its emeraldine base form (PANI‐EB) and photo‐acid generators (PAG) show an increase in conductivity upon photo‐irradiation due to the protonation of PANI‐EB. Such materials may be utilized to fabricate conducting patterns by photo‐irradiation. However, the conductivity obtained by direct irradiation of PANI‐EB/PAG composites was normally quite low (<10^?3 S/cm) due to aggregation of highly loaded PAG. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which is a proton transfer polymer, was added to PANI‐EB/PAG. Results showed that addition of low M_w (550) PEG significantly enhance the photo‐induced conductivity. Conductivities as high as 10^?1–10⁰ S/cm were observed after photo‐irradiation. This conductivity is comparable to that of PANI‐salt synthesized by oxidizing aniline in the presence of an acid. High M_w (8000) PEG is much less effective than PEG 550, which is attributed to its lower compatibility with PANI. PEG‐grafted PANI (N‐PEG‐PANI) was also studied as an additive. Composites of PANI‐EB and N‐PEG‐PANI showed conductivity as high as 10² S/cm after treatment with HCl vapor. The photo‐induced conductivity of the N‐PEG‐PANI/PANI‐EB/PAG composite reached 10^?2–10^?1 S/cm. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013