Electropolymerization of Polypyrrole Films in Aqueous Solution with Side-Coupler Agent with Side-Coupler Agent

Abstract

A preliminary study of the electrochemical synthesis and optical characterizacion of the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) was carried out, in order to understand the in-situ electropoliymerization of PPy. Electropolymerization was performed in a three electrode cell by using freshly prepared monomer solutions in presence of a side-coupler agent to hydrophobic groups: sodium dodecylsulfate (DDS), in order to improve the adherence polymer film to the surface of the working electrode. The adherence of the polymer film promotes either the ionic or electronic transport at the interface solution-working electrode. A polar chemical reactive, sodium tetrafluoroborate, TFB, was also used. In order to taylor and optimize the physical properties of the PPy films we varied some parameters during the electropolymerization: the monomer concentration, the electrolyte concentration, pH of the solution and the cell potential. This allowed us to control the oxidation level (impurification or doping) of the polymer. The obtained PPy films were characterized by using UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy. Moreover through scanning electronic microscopy we were able to observe well developed helical structures of polypyrrole.