Behaviour of the suspensions of polyaniline-poly-p-phenylenediamine copolymers with incorporated silver particles under electric field

Abstract

Composite particles of poly(aniline-co-p-phenylenediamine) with silver were prepared by oxidation of aniline with silver nitrate in the presence of camphorsulfonic acid. Various amount of phenylenediamine provided materials with different conductivity and different particle morphology. In spite of high silver content, the conductivity of composite particles was relatively low, which enabled measurement of electrorheological (ER) activity of suspensions at high electric-field strengths. By using an optical microscope, a different chainlike structure of particle organization in the electric field depending on particle morphology has been found. The results demonstrated good reproducibility of the phenomenon.