Flexible electrically conductive nanocomposite membrane based on bacterial cellulose and polyaniline

The novel conductive polyaniline/bacterial cellulose (PANI/BC) nanocomposite membranes have been synthesized in situ by oxidative polymerization of aniline with ammonium persulfate as an oxidant and BC as a template. The resulting PANI-coated BC nanofibrils formed a uniform and flexible membrane. It was found that the PANI nanoparticles deposited on the surface of BC connected to form a continuous nanosheath by taking along the BC template, which greatly increases the thermal stability of BC. The content of PANI and the electrical conductivity of composites increased with increasing reaction time from 30 to 90 min, while the conductivity decreased because of the aggregation of PANI particles by further prolonging the reaction time. In addition, the acids remarkably improve the accessibility and reactivity of the hydroxyl groups of BC. The results indicate that the composites exhibit excellent electrical conductivity (the highest value was 5.0 × 10(-2) S/cm) and good mechanical properties (Young's modulus was 5.6 GPa and tensile strength was 95.7 MPa). Moreover, the electrical conductivity of the membrane is sensitive to the strain. This work provides a straightforward method to prepare flexible films with high conductivity and good mechanical properties, which could be applied in sensors, flexible electrodes, and flexible displays. It also opens a new field of potential applications of BC materials.