Flexible polyaniline-bacterial nanocellulose conducting composites

Development of new greener material for conducting paper is sought for applications such as security paper, actuators, and anti-static packaging. It is required that the material for these applications possess low density and good mechanical integrity. This work presents a way to produce bacterial nanocellulose (BC) - polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites by in situ polymerization in suspension of cellulose nanowhiskers. The advantages of using BC over filter paper are its ultrafine network structure, sufficient porosity, high purity and crystallinity, good mechanical properties, great water holding capability and low environmental impact. The BC/PANI composites formed by optimized synthesis of PANI within cellulose nanowhiskers are expected to possess good electrical conductivity in addition to excellent mechanical properties and flexibility. The material has been characterized using Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)