The doctoral dissertations of the former Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) and Aalto University Schools of Technology (CHEM, ELEC, ENG, SCI) published in electronic format are available in the electronic publications archive of Aalto University - Aaltodoc.
Aalto

Investigations of Functional Electroactive Polymers

Mari Tiitu

Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Science in Technology to be presented with due permission of the Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics for public examination and debate in Auditorium F1 at Helsinki University of Technology (Espoo, Finland) on the 8th of June, 2006, at 12 noon.

Overview in PDF format (ISBN 951-22-8224-0)   [1925 KB]
Dissertation is also available in print (ISBN 951-22-8223-2)

Abstract

Conjugated polymers containing pi-conjugated backbones form a scientifically and technologically important class of polymers. In their undoped form they are semiconductors, but they can be doped for electrical conductivity, and allow redox-activity, which all can lead to functional materials. One of the most important conjugated polymers in large scale applications is polyaniline due to its economics and good stability. Polyaniline is used for applications requiring conductivity as well as corrosion inhibition.

In this thesis, conducting network structures based on acid doped polyaniline are prepared within solvent and polymer matrices, in order to investigate percolation phenomena. Self-assembled structures have been investigated to study confinement of the polyaniline chain in nanosized domains and its effects on conductivity. A concept was identified and patented to achieve a novel anticorrosion coating based on polyaniline/epoxy compositions.

In some applications ionic or protonic conductivity is preferred instead of electronic conductivity. These include e.g. fuel cell membranes or applications where colorless conductive materials are needed. The thesis describes a model material for fuel cell membranes, where the mechanical and conductivity properties can be separately tailored due to self-assembly, as well as a novel material to allow colorless antistatic paper coatings.

This thesis consists of an overview and of the following 6 publications:

  1. O. Ikkala, M. Tiitu, J. Tanner, J. Ruokolainen, Blends of Thermoreversible Gels of Polyaniline with Thermoplastic Elastomers: Co-Continuous Melt Processible Polymer Structures, Synthetic Metals, 102, 1248-1249 (1999). © 1999 Elsevier Science. By permission.
  2. M. Tiitu, P. Hiekkataipale, J. Hartikainen, T. Mäkelä, O. Ikkala, Viscoelastic and Electrical Transitions in Gelation of Electrically Conducting Polyaniline, Macromolecules, 35 (13), 5212-5217 (2002). © 2002 American Chemical Society. By permission.
  3. M. Tiitu, N. Volk, M. Torkkeli, R. Serimaa, G. ten Brinke, O. Ikkala, Cylindrical Self-Assembly and Flow Alignment of Comb-Shaped Supramolecules of Electrically Conducting Polyaniline, Macromolecules, 37 (19), 7364-7370 (2004). © 2004 American Chemical Society. By permission.
  4. M. Tiitu, M. Torkkeli, R. Serimaa, T. Mäkelä, O. T. Ikkala, Self-Assembly and Flow Alignment of Protonically Conducting Complexes of Polystyrene-block-Poly(4-vinylpyridine) Diblock Copolymer with Phosphoric Acid, Solid State Ionics, 176, 1291-1299 (2005). © 2005 Elsevier Science. By permission.
  5. M. Tiitu, A. Talo, O. Forsén, O. Ikkala, Aminic Epoxy Resin Hardeners as Reactive Solvents for Conjugated Polymers: Polyaniline Base/Epoxy Composites for Anticorrosion Coatings, Polymer, 46, 6855-6861 (2005). © 2005 Elsevier Science. By permission.
  6. M. Tiitu, J. Laine, R. Serimaa, O. Ikkala, Ionically Self-Assembled Carboxymethylcellulose-Surfactant Complexes for Antistatic Paper Coatings, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, accepted for publication (2006). © 2006 by authors and © 2006 Elsevier Science. By permission.

Keywords: conjugated polymers, polyaniline, self-assembly, networks

This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.

© 2006 Helsinki University of Technology

Last update 2011-05-26