Elastomeric conductive IPN from polyaniline and fullerene-based networks

Polyhydroxylated fullerenes were utilized as an efficient hyper cross-linking agent in the synthesis of polyurethane networks. The resultant elastomers exhibited greatly enhanced thermal stability in comparison with those of the corresponding linear polyurethane and analogous elastomers, which were cross-linked by 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane. A synthetic method leading to the preparation of a thin layer of conductive polyaniline/polyurethane IPN at the near surface of a fullerenol-based elastomeric substrate was demonstrated, using aqueous ammonium persulfate as an oxidizing agent in the presence of HCl. This new material exhibits a conductivity of 2.0 S/cm at ambient temperatures with the retention of most bulk properties of the parent elastomer, such as elongation and tensile strength at break.