Phenothiazine-Based Polyaniline Fibers: Impact of Fiber Architecture on Electrical Properties

In this study, a phenothiazine-based polyaniline derivative (PTZ–PANI) was employed to fabricate coaxial and uniaxial electrospun fibers to examine the effects of fiber architecture on material properties. Uniaxial fibers were produced from a homogeneous mixture of doped polymer (PTZ–PANI-D) with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) while coaxial fibers featured a PTZ–PANI-D outer shell and a PEO core. Coaxial fiber mats showed higher conductivity (4.43 × 10–5 S/cm) than uniaxial mats (1.95 × 10–6 S/cm), though both were less conductive than the cast film (1.10 × 10–4 S/cm) due to interfiber voids. A single coaxial fiber, however, reached 1.06 × 10–4 S/cm, comparable to the film. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that coaxial fiber architecture offers a promising strategy for enhancing molecular alignment and optimizing electroactive properties in materials designed for advanced electronic and energy-related applications.