Preparation Of Polyaniline/Silver Nanocomposite On Nonconductive Surfaces By Chemical Precipitation

The metallization of polymers has attracted considerable attention due to the numerous possible applications of the metallized plastics[1]. The conventional method for the metallization of plastics is electroless plating using SnCl2 and PdCl2 toxic and expensive solutions[2]. In thiswork the reversible oxidation behaviour of polyaniline film was used to the reduction and precipitation of silver cations in order to metallize polyaniline films. Reduction and precipitation of silver cations by leucoemeraldine and emeraldine forms of polyaniline was investigated and compared. The effect of solution condition on this process was optimized. Also in a consistent way the influence of factors such as thickness, initial redox state of the polymer coating and type of reducing species (cations and metal anions) on the metal deposition was studied and silver anion complexes (instead of silver cations) was used.