A gel formed in an aqueous mixture of ionic surfactants possesses entangled networks of long micelles; this entangled networks imparts viscoelastic properties to it. An incorporation of polymer into this gel retains these entangled networks, and thus the viscoelastic properties. This incorporation of polymer enhances rheological properties of surfactant mixtures only gel as confirmed by rheological measurements. The rheological properties of both the gels are dependent on concentration of components, and temperature. The gel formed by surfactants only shows conductivity of ~ 2.3 X 10 -11 S/m. This conductivity in gel is due to free ions in aqueous solution. The polymer-incorporated gel possesses enhanced conducting properties ~ 4.5 X 10 -5 S/m. An enhancement in conductivity is due to the additional conjugated p-electrons in the polymer backbone being added to the aqueous surfactant based gel. Measurements show that the conductivity of this gel is also sensitive to concentration of components and temperature. There occurs uniform current distribution within the matrix of gel. Interesting temperature and potential dependent current distribution patterns were observed through the gel. These temperature dependent patterns were assigned to the temperature induced structural transformation in the gel; as it is sensitive to the temperature. The conclusion is supported by rheological measurements, and TEM images.

Conduction through temperature sensitive conducting viscoelastic gel

254th National Meeting (2017)

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