Fabrication and characterization of mesoporous TiO2/polypyrrole-based nanocomposite for electrorheological fluid

Mesoporous TiO{sub 2}/polypyrrole (PPy)-based nanocomposite for electrorheological fluid was synthesized through one-pot method. By exploiting the combination conductivity of PPy and high dielectric constant of TiO{sub 2}, the ER fluid exhibited an enhanced effect. The shear stress was 3.3 times as high as that of mesoporous TiO{sub 2}. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), TEM and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were employed to characterize the as-made samples. Using a modified rotational viscometer, the electrorheological effect was measured. Dielectric spectra were also given to explain the mechanism.