¿RE-DISCOVERING¿ AN OLD MATERIAL, POLYANILINE, FOR MODERN APPLICATIONS

The chemical industry of the forthcoming years will be shaped by a number of emerging global megatrends strictly related to the growth and aging of the world population (nine billion people in 2050). This will result in demand of innovative materials able to solve new needs in different fields: health, communication, energy, environmental sustainability, etc. In this diversified context, conducting organic polymers (COPs) are expected to play an important role thanks to their polyhedric properties. Among them, polyaniline is one of the more investigated COPs owing to its peculiar properties which make it a potential substitute of conventional materials in different fields (electronics, fenestration, textile industry, sensors and many others). However, to date many aspects related to its synthesis and application are still open. Scope of the present work is to provide alternative eco-friendly methods to the traditional synthetic routes towards PANI-based materials and enlarge their present applications in view of the novel requirements. This study has been organized in three main sections. In the first section a new green protocol will be present to prepare PANI/metal oxides nanocomposites, innovative materials in the field of EMI shielding. For the first time the double role of magnetic nanoparticles, as catalysts of the reaction and magnetic fillers of the final products, will be illustrated. Conducting/magnetic materials are particularly tempting for their ability to reduce the electromagnetic interferences (EMI) originated by the increasing use of electronic devices and telecommunication equipment. Preliminary results in terms of their microwave absorbing properties will be shown. The possibility to improve the health and quality of life for millions of people worldwide is, in fact, the overall goal of tissue engineering. Nanostructured PANI in form of fibers or wires could find application as novel conductive scaffolds in neuronal or cardiac stimulations. In the second section, the possibility to produce highly pure polyaniline nanofibers by electrospinning technique will be showed. These materials, characterized by high values of conductivity and cytocompatibility, could represent an alternative to traditional solutions for cardiac and neuronal stimulation. Regarding the third section of the work, the amazing piezoresistive properties of PANI, especially in form of film, will be for the first time herein presented. Herein, the extraordinary high GF values of PANI-based films (more than 10 times higher than those of commercial piezoresistors) will be reported. The mechanical monitoring in large and small scale (buildings/touch-technology) needs of highly sensitive stress/strains sensors and PANI-based materials are particularly promising in this sector. All these characteristics contribute to make PANI and its composites innovative materials which could offer new solutions for many challenges of the future.