Measurement in the frequency range 3 mHz 106 Hz of the dielectric
characteristics of emeraldine base polyaniline dissolved in
1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and cast into bulk free-standing polymer
films shows features similar to those reported by others and which are a
result of microphase separation into reduced and oxidized repeat units.
However, upon confinement into the cylindrical pores, of average diameter
20 nm, of a porous membrane such features of microphase separation do not
occur. The microphase separation observed in the bulk polymer is
suppressed by strong pinning of the charge carriers due to interactions
of the polymer with pore walls together with constrained chain packing
and a non-uniform rate of evaporation of the NMP solvent from the pores.
This enhances the bulk conductivity after doping by reducing the internal
intra-chain disorder introduced by microphase separation.