Improving the Thermoelectric Properties of Polyaniline by Introducing Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

By using the parent monomers, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene and aniline, a series of nanocomposites consisting of different mass ratios of polyaniline (PANI) to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) have been successfully prepared in hydrochloric acid solution through oxidative polymerization, then redoped with p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA). Firstly, PEDOT nanoparticles were fabricated via chemical oxidation polymerization in reverse (water-in-oil) microemulsions. Then, PANI-doped PEDOT nanoparticles were formed by oxidative polymerization of aniline to form PANI/PEDOT nanofibers. The resulting nanostructured components were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a series of spectroscopic methods. The presence of PEDOT increased the room-temperature electrical conductivity of the PANI/PEDOT nanocomposites by more than two orders of magnitude in comparison with the parent PANI. Moreover, the PANI/PEDOT nanocomposites showed better thermoelectric properties than PANI. Different concentrations of p-TSA also affected the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the nanocomposites. With increasing temperature, both the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient increased.