Synthesis of conducting polymeric nanoparticles in the presence of a polymerizable surfactant and their electrorheological response

Conducting poly(aniline-co-diphenylamine) (PANI-PDPA) nanoparticles were fabricated via chemical oxidative polymerization in an emulsified system as a novel electrorheological (ER) material. A polymerizable surfactant and an amphiphile, which act as both an emulsion stabilizer and a polymerizable monomer, were employed. Morphological and compositional analyses revealed that monodispersed spherical copolymeric nanoparticles were successfully obtained under controlled conditions. The rheological behaviors of the PANI-PDPA-based ER suspension were evaluated by carrying out its rotating shear test under various electric field strengths, in which its stress behaviors were qualitatively analyzed using a four-parametric model.