Emergence of Paramagnetism in Organic Macromolecules during Synthesis

Abstract

Paramagnetism in polyaniline can be generated during synthesis if cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) is used as a polymerizing (oxidizing) agent. During the reaction, in situ formation of Ce³⁺ ions are doped in the spherical polyaniline particles and show paramagnetic behavior throughout the experimental temperature range (400–1.9 K). The result indicated that the Ce³⁺ ions covalently functionalized with the chain nitrogen of the polyaniline.

Keywords:

• cerium ammonium nitrate
• paramagnetism
• polyaniline
• SEM

Acknowledgments

K.M. acknowledges NIC, DST, South Africa, for financial support while A.S. acknowledges financial aid from the University of Johannesburg Research Committee and the Faculty of Science, as well as from the SA National Research Foundation under Grant No. 2072956.