Method for production of water-soluble conducting polyaniline

摘要

The sulfonation of a polyaniline or a derivative thereof by the use of a sulfonating agent, characterized by dispersing the polyaniline or the derivative thereof in a reaction solvent thereby inhibiting the formation of lumps of grains due to substantial aggregation. Preferably, the solvent for the reaction is an organic solvent incapable of reacting with the sulfonating agent. The initial stirring power for the reaction of sulfonation is preferred to be not less than 0.03 kW/m3 and the polyaniline or the derivative thereof is preferred to have a water content of not more than 8 wt. %. Further, this invention is characterized by subjecting a polyaniline having introduced a sulfonic acid group therein or a derivative thereof to hydrolysis in a mixed solution of water with a hydrophilic organic solvent. The hydrophilic organic solvent is preferred to be an alcohol. The aqueous solution of the water-soluble conducting polyaniline obtained by the method of production mentioned above can be made to form a thin film by a simple technique such as spin coat, dip coat, or bar coat and utilized for various antistatic applications and non-linear optical materials.