Microwave absorbing properties of polyaniline/montmorillonite doped with dodecylbenzensulfonic acid nanocomposite

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, we reported a new type of high performance microwave-absorbing material, polyaniline/montmorillonite doped with dodecylbenzensulfonic acid (PAni-DBSA/MMT) nanocomposite. The microwave-absorbing properties of this nanocomposite were investigated for the frist time. The nanocomposite were synthesized from emulsion polymerization using dodecylbenzensulfonic acid (DBSA) as dopant and emulsifier. The structure of the nanocompsite was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR, and its results denoted that PAni-DBSA/MMT is a typical intercalative polymer/layered silicate (PLS) nanocomposite, and the interaction between MMT layers and PAni chains enhances the delocalization of free electrons in PAni chains. The complex permittivity, permeability and reflection loss (R.L.) of microwave of a 2. 00 mm thick samples containing 50% by weight of PAni-DBSA/MMT nanocompsite and PANI-DBSA were measured, respectively, in 2–18 GHz range. The results showed that the PANI-DBSA/MMT nanocomposite is capable of absorbing 2.0–18 GHz microwaves, and the reflection loss was less that −10 dB in the frequency range of 9.1–12.5 GHz, While the minimum reflection loss was −15.8 dB at 11 GHz. The microwave absorbing mechanism of nanocompsite is discussed.