Synthesis and Impedance Spectroscopy of Poly(p-phenylenediamine)/Montmorillonite Composites

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 13; no. 18; p. 3132
• Main Authors: Acharya, Udit, Bober, Patrycja, Thottappali, Muhammed Arshad, Morávková, Zuzana, Konefał, Magdalena, Pfleger, Jiří
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 16-09-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Charge transport; Composite materials; Conduction heating; conductivity mechanism; Humidity; Impedance spectroscopy; Low temperature; Monomers; Montmorillonite; Morphology; Oligomers; Oxidizing agents; Phenylenediamine; poly(p-phenylenediamine); Polymerization; Polymers; Scanning electron microscopy; Sensors; Spectrum analysis; X ray powder diffraction; United States > US; Czech Republic
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym13183132

Poly(p-phenylenediamine)/montmorillonite (PPDA/MMT) composites were prepared by the oxidative polymerization of monomers intercalated within the MMT gallery, using ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidant. The intercalation process was evidenced by X-ray powder diffraction. The FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies revealed that, depending on the initial ratio between monomers and MMT in the polymerization mixture, the polymer or mainly oligomers are created during polymerization. The DC conductivity of composites was found to be higher than the conductivity of pristine polymer, reaching the highest value of 10−6 S cm−1 for the optimal MMT amount used during polymerization. Impedance spectroscopy was performed over wide frequency and temperature ranges to study the charge transport mechanism. The data analyzed in the framework of conductivity formalism suggest different conduction mechanisms for high and low temperature regions.