Owing to its unique structure and
reduction–oxidation (redox)
properties, polyaniline (PANI) has been widely used in diverse applications,
including sensors, solar cells, electrochromic devices, batteries,
and supercapacitors. However, irreversible redox reactions between
different oxidation states of PANI often result in low chemical and
electrochemical stability, deteriorating devices’ performance
characteristics. Herein, we fabricated PANI-based multilayer films
using spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembly, providing significantly
improved chemical and electrochemical stability compared to the PANI
homopolymer. More importantly, we found that the electroactivity and
electrical conductivity of PANI-based films can be restored by a simple
chemical reactivation process using an acidic aqueous solution. The
re-doping process successfully recovers the electrochemical properties
of PANI, even improving the electroactivity and conductivity characteristics
of polyacid-doped PANI films, attributed to the secondary doping and
rearrangement of polymers. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the performance
of PANI multilayer films for ammonia sensors is successfully restored
after the reactivation process.