DC Magnetron Sputtered Polyaniline-HCl Thin Films for Chemical Sensing Applications

Thin films of conducting polymers exhibit unique chemical and physical properties that render them integral parts in microelectronics, energy storage devices, and chemical sensors. Overall, polyaniline (PAni) doped in acidic media has shown metal-like electronic conductivity, though exact physical and chemical properties are dependent on the polymer structure and dopant type. Difficulties arising from poor processability render production of doped PAni thin films particularly challenging. In this contribution, DC magnetron sputtering, a physical vapor deposition technique, is applied to the preparation of conductive thin films of PAni doped with hydrochloric acid (PAni-HCl) in an effort to circumvent issues associated with conventional thin film preparation methods. Samples manufactured by the sputtering method are analyzed along with samples prepared by conventional drop-casting. Physical characterization (atomic force microscopy, AFM) confirm the presence of PAni-HCl and show that films exhibit a reduce...