Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Polymers and the Environment https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-019-01519-7 ORIGINAL PAPER Chitosan/Polyaniline Conductive Blends for Developing Packaging: Electrical, Morphological, Structural and Thermal Properties Ana Carolina Salgado de Oliveira 1  · Julio Cesar Ugucioni 2  · Roney Alves da Rocha 1  · Taline Amorim Santos 1  · Soraia Vilela Borges 1 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract The present study aim to evaluate the development of electrical conducting blends made from the biodegradable polymer, chitosan (Cs), and polyaniline (PANI) doped with dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid dissolved in acid solution chitosan, to enable development of conductive and smart packages that help to monitor exposure conditions of food aimed to reduce food waste. Concentration of Cs is fxed (2%), and PANI (80, 100 mg mL −1 ) and glutaraldehyde (Glut) (0.625 × 10 −3  μL) concentrations are alter. Morphological (SEM), structural (FTIR, RAMAN), thermal (TGA) and electrical (Hall efect) properties are evalu- ate. Blends were predominantly negative carriers, with conductivity in order of 10 −1  S cm −1 . Best formulations are those make without of Glut. Analyses show an interaction between components. FTIR show bands characteristic of benzene and quinoid rings of PANI, and RAMAN exhibit a band related to PANI’s protonation. TGA show maintenance of maximum degrada- tion temperature of PANI. This results evidence maintenance of PANI’s conducting structures even after blends synthesis. Keywords Polymers · Raman · Hall efect · Charge carriers · Semiconductor materials Introduction The need for the sustainable use of natural resources has led to the development of blends from biodegradable polymers for the most diverse industrial segments. In addition, there is a great demand to produce intelligent packaging that is capable of monitoring food and the surrounding environ- ment, informing the consumer if the food is not suitable for consumption or has been subjected to inappropriate stor- age. Thus, smart packaging can provide adequate behavior in the food supply chain, once it can state whether a food is improper for consumption. This is due to the smart packag- ing correlates the physical-chemistry properties of food to its state of conservation of food. This strategy can lead to reduced food waste and save natural resources [1, 2]. Chitosan (Cs) is a biodegradable cationic polymer pro- duced by the deacetylation of chitin present in insects and in shells of crustaceans. It is the second most abundant natural polymer in nature, non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, insoluble in neutral and alkaline solutions and has antimi- crobial action. It can be used as an encapsulating agent for controlled release systems; antimicrobial agent, as a chelat- ing agent in water treatment, and as biopolymer due to its ability to form flms [3–8]. Cs is not a competitive polymer when compared to traditional polymers. It is necessary to improve its mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties and to reduce its cost. Some strategies have been developed to improve its properties, including the polymer blends with the addition of plasticizers (especially glycerol) that act in increasing the fexibility of the fnal product, or the addition of reinforcing material such as silver nanoparticles [9, 10]. Polyaniline (PANI) is a conductive polymer with a wide range of industrial applications due to its easy synthesis, high environmental stability, low cost of aniline, ability to modify mechanical and electromagnetic properties, solu- bility as a function of dopant acid, and adsorbent proper- ties [11]. However, their applications are limited due to its inability to melt and its little solubility in common solvents. Thus, the doped PANI with acids can minimize these disad- vantages, increasing the afnity with other polymer matrices and the solubility in organic solvents [12–15]. PANI has * Ana Carolina Salgado de Oliveira anacarolengalimentos@gmail.com 1 Department of Food Science, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil 2 Department of Physics, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil