Flexible, semiconducting nanocomposite materials based on nanocrystalline cellulose and polyaniline

Abstract

A new approach is conceived for the development of organic polymeric conducting materials synthesized from nanocomposites of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and polyaniline (PANI). The process involves oxidative-radical polymerization of aniline in the presence of NCC using either in situ or emulsion polymerization. The resulting NCC-PANI nanocomposite material can be obtained in film or powder form and exhibits electrical conductive properties typical of semiconducting materials. Unlike PANI, a brittle conductive polymer, NCC-PANI nanocomposite materials can be engineered to possess significant flexibility, strength and/or hardness as a result of the NCC acting as a reinforcing scaffold. Depending on the preparation conditions, electrical conductivities for the NCC-PANI nanocomposite materials prepared according to this disclosure range from 9.98×10to 1.88×10S·cm; they could also have hardness ≧0.189 GPa or be formed into flexible films of tensile strength of the order of 9.74 MPa and stretch of the order of 0.54%. These unique electrical and mechanical properties render these materials suitable for use in a variety of value-added industrial products, such as batteries, electronics, electrical sensors, separation membranes, anti-static coatings for aerospace applications, as well as anti-corrosive coatings for automotives and other industrial applications.