Water-based polyurethane-polyaniline conductive core-shell latex nanoparticles

Conducting core-shell latex nanoparticles were synthesized by coating near-monodisperse, nanometer sized water-based polyurethane (PU) latex nanoparticles through in situ chemical polymerization of aniline. These latex nanoparticles showed nearly spherical shape and relatively narrow particle size distribution. It is found that good core-shell structure of latex nanoparticles could be well formed due to the interaction between the carboxyl groups of PU and imine groups of polyaniline (PANT), and the conductivity of the composite films can be controlled through adjusting the weight ratio of aniline monomer and PU latex.