Enhanced effect of dopant on polyaniline nanofiber based electrorheological response

As a potential candidate for electrorheological (ER) materials, polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers were synthesized via an interfacial polymerization route, because of their easy synthesis, high stability, controllable conductivity and good ER response. In this study, a new dopant, indole-2-carboxylic acid, was used to improve the ER performance. The synthesized PANI nanofibers were dispersed in silicone oil at 10 vol% and their rheological properties as an ER fluid were examined using a rotational rheometer under a variety of electric field strengths. In addition, their dielectric properties were studied using a LCR meter. The results showed that indole-2-carboxylic acid, which has high polarizability, enhanced the ER effect of PANI nanofibers, showing that polarizability is an important parameter affecting the ER behavior.