Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene):Sulfamic Acid Modified Aramid Nanofibers: An Innovative Conductive Polymer With Enhanced Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Thermoelectric Performance.

The development of alternative conductive polymers for the well-known poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is of great significance for improving the stability in long-term using and high-temperature environments. Herein, an innovative PEDOT:S-ANF aqueous dispersion is successfully prepared by using sulfamic acid (SA) to modified aramid nanofibers (S-ANF) as an alternative dispersant for PSS and the subsequent in situ polymerization of PEDOT. Thanks to the excellent film forming ability and surface negative groups of S-ANF, the PEDOT:S-ANF films show comparable tensile strength and elongation to unmodified PEDOT:ANF. Meanwhile, PEDOT:S-ANF has a high conductivity of 27.87 S cm, which is more than 20 times higher than that of PEDOT:PSS. The film exhibits excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and thermoelectric performance, with a shielding effectiveness (SE) of 31.14 dB and a power factor (PF) of 0.43 µW mK. As a substitute for PSS, S-ANF exhibits significant structural and physicochemical properties, resulting in excellent chemical and thermal stability. Even under harsh conditions such as immersing to 0.1 M HCl, 0.1 M NaOH, and 3.5% NaCl solution, or high temperature conditions, the PEDOT:S-ANF films still maintain exceptional EMI shielding performance. Therefore, this multifunctional conductive polymer exhibits enormous potential and even proves its reliability in extreme situations.