Stimuli-responsive polyaniline coated silica microspheres and their electrorheology

Silica/polyaniline (PANI) core–shell structured microspheres were synthesized by coating the surface of silica micro-beads with PANI and applied as a candidate inorganic/polymer composite electrorheological (ER) material. The silica micro-beads were initially modified using N-[(3-trimethoxysilyl)-propyl] aniline to activate an aniline functional group on the silica surface for a better PANI coating. The morphology of the PANI coating on the silica surface was examined by scanning electron microscopy and the silica/PANI core–shell structure was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The chemical structure of the particles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Rotational rheometry was performed to confirm the difference in the ER properties between pure silica and silica/PANI microsphere-based ER fluids when dispersed in silicone oil.