Facile fabrication of highly conductive poly (styrene-co-methacrylic acid)/ poly(aniline) microspheres based on surface carboxylation modification

Fabrication of highly conductive poly(styrene)/poly(aniline) (PS/PANI) microspheres has been considerably explored. Improving the adsorption efficiency of aniline on the PS microspheres is still a challenge by facile methods. To overcome this problem, poly(styrene-co-methacylic acid) (poly(St-co-MAA)) is firstly synthesized for capturing anilinium ions, and then the in-situ polymerization of aniline is implemented to obtain highly conductive poly(St-co-MAA)/PANI microspheres. The prepared poly(St-co-MAA) microspheres bearing an average particle size of 238 nm possess a low polymer dispersity index (PDI, 0.082) and high zeta-potential, which guarantee no agglomeration and deposition of microspheres latex after 30 days at room temperature. After the in-situ polymerization of aniline, the conductive disc based on poly(St-co-MAA)/PANI microspheres presents a superior electrical conductivity of 14.6 S m −1 at an inferior PANI loading of 5.74 vol% and a relatively low electrical percolation threshold (EPT < 0.16 vol%). The results indicate that the carboxylic microspheres for preparing high polymer/PANI microspheres is effective. Meanwhile, poly(St-co-MAA)/PANI microspheres show a great potential in manufacture of conductive composites due to their excellent electrical conductivity.