Doping of polyaniline via pseudoprotonation by an ionic salt

Abstract

Polyaniline can be converted into a conducting form by either protonation of the imine site or oxidative doping at the amine site. Here, a new class of dopant is reported, ionic salts. An ionic‐salt‐doped polyaniline is obtained by mixing the emeraldine base of polyaniline and solutions of, for example, LiClO 4 , LiBF 4 , or Zn(ClO 4 ) 2 in 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, and then casting the solution to form films. Materials synthesis, film production, and the demonstration that the material is intrinsically, rather then ionically, conducting are discussed.