(30d) Investigation of the Doping Effects of Small Molecule Acids on Self-Healable, Stretchable PANI/Paampsa Conductive Polymer Complexes

Polymeric piezoresistive sensors show great promise in movement monitoring and biosensing. Their polymer composition provides flexibility and stretchability which allows for unique sensor applications, where traditional metallic sensors are too brittle and rigid. The polymer complex to be applied is composed of a templating poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesiulfonic acid), polyaniline, and a small molecule dopant system. By altering the small molecule dopant, the impacts the various functional groups and structures have on the strain sensor’s conductivity, mechanical properties, and piezoresistive sensitivity can be investigated. Typically, small molecule dopants that increase conductivity decrease stretchability and mechanical stability, which stems from more acidic dopants being able to protonate and facilitate ionic conductivity throughout the sensor. On the opposite hand, functional groups with increased hydrogen bonding tend to increase mechanical properties. By increasing our understanding of the impact these various dopants have on the electro-mechanical properties of the strain sensor, the sensor can be tailored to specific applications, allowing for increased sensitivity when needed or increased stretchability when required.