Improved infrared emissivity modulation of polyaniline based on various metal compound doping strategies

Polyaniline (PANI) has the potential to control infrared emissivity but suffers from insufficient modulation. We mitigate this deficiency by employing metal compound doping to modify the structure and composition of PANI. The blackbody radiation-weighted emissivity modulation (Δε) in the 8–14 μm band increases from 0.055 without doping to 0.524 with manganese (Mn) doping. Thermal imaging confirms the remarkable infrared modulation of metal-doped PANI films. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using metal-doped PANI films for infrared thermal control applications and are expected to be used for innovations in smart thermal management.