Preparation of Thermosensitive Conducting PANI@P(St-NIPAm) Composite Particles and Conductivity Properties

Thermosensitive conducting composite particles were synthesized using the unsulfonated P(St-NIPAm) as a thermosensitive substrate. A series of characterizations have been performed to study the effects of thermosensitive PANI@poly (St-NIPAm) conductivity performance. Aniline diffused into P(St-NIPAm) particles in solution, and then polyaniline (PANI) was in-situ produced in P(St-NIPAm) particles through oxidation polymerization. The samples showed different particle sizes at different temperatures. The content of conducting polyaniline is dependent on NIPAm feed ratios. The particle electrical conductivity was improved with the increasing NIPAM feed ratios and exhibited thermal responsive electrical conductivity. The thermosensitive conducting composite particles will have wide applications in sensors, for example, they could be used to fabricate smart conductive gel responsive to temperature and moisture.