A Three-Dimensional Porous Conducting Polymer Composite with Ultralow Density and Highly Sensitive Pressure Sensing Properties

An ultra light conducting poly aniline/Si C/polyacrylonitrile (PANI/Si C/PAN) composite was fabricated by in situ polymerization of aniline monomer on the surface of fibers in Si C/PAN aerogel. The Si C/PAN aerogel was obtained by electro spinning, freeze-drying, and heat treatment. The ingredient, morphology, structure, and electrical properties of the aerogel before and after in situ polymerization were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and voltage-current characteristic measurement. The thermostability of PANI/Si C/PAN composite was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrical resistance measured at different temperatures. The density of the PANI/SiC/PAN composite was approximately 0.211gcm^-3, the porosity was 76.44%, and the conductivity was 0.013Sm^-1. The pressure sensing properties were evaluated at room temperature. The electrical resistance of as-prepared sample decreased gradually with the increase of pressure. Furthermore, the pressure sensing process was reversible and the response time was short (about 1s). This composite may have application in pressure sensor field