Bulk Synthesis of Polypyrrole Nanofibers by a Seeding Approach

Abstract

The morphology of doped polypyrrole.Cl powder changes dramatically from granular to nanofibrillar when a very small amount (1-4 mg) of V2O5 nanofibers are added to a chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in aq 1.0 M HCl using (NH4)2S2O8 as the oxidant. Unlike the polyaniline system, a key synthetic requirement in the polypyrrole system is for the seed template to be "active", i.e., to be capable of independently oxidizing the pyrrole monomer. Thin, strongly adherent films can be obtained on inert surfaces such as glass, plastics, etc., directly from the polymerization mixture without any bulk product isolation steps, significantly simplifying the processing of these nanofibers.