Polyaniline nanofibers for In situ MAO‐catalyzed polymerization of ethylene |
| |
Authors: | Nara Regina de Souza Basso Felipo Oliveira Ana Paula Graebin Cássio Stein Moura Fabiana de Carvalho Fim Griselda Barrera Galland Leila Bonnaud Oltea Murariu Philippe Dubois |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Faculdade de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul‐Brasil, Porto Alegre, Brazil;2. Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil;3. Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials (LPCM), Center of Innovation and Research in Materials and Polymers (CIRMAP), University of Mons (UMONS) and Materia Nova Research Center, Mons, Belgium |
| |
Abstract: | In this work electro‐conductive polyaniline nanofibers (PAni‐nanofibers) were prepared via interfacial methodology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed that the synthesized PAni‐nanofibers present high aspect ratio with an average diameter of 80 nm, while they exhibit high conductivity (DC conductivity values: 4.19 ± 0.21 S cm?1). After specific treatment to remove moisture and remaining trapped HCl from PAni‐nanofibers, it was possible to prepare promising polyethylene (PE)/PAni composites by in situ polymerization of ethylene using bis(cyclopentadienyl) zirconium(IV) dichloride (Cp2ZrCl2) and methylaluminoxane (MAO) as catalytic system. More precisely, various contents of PAni‐nanofibers (from 0.2 to 7 wt %) were successfully incorporated in the in situ produced PE/PAni nanocomposites. PAni‐nanofibers were found to affect significantly the crystallization of the polyolefinic matrix while preserving its thermal stability. Preliminary measurements of electric properties showed PAni‐nanofibres are able to bring electro‐conductive properties to the in situ polymerized PE/PAni composites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41197. |
| |
Keywords: | composites conducting polymers fibers nanostructured polymers polyolefins |
|
|