Branched fibers of conducting polypyrrole: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Three-dimensional network of branched fibers of conducting polypyrrole was synthesized by interfacial polymerization method in the presence of sulfonated β-cyclodextrin (SβCD) as the dopant. A high surface area of open-pore polypyrrole structure was obtained with the aid of SβCD, and the incorporation of SβCD units into the polypyrrole fibers was confirmed during the interfacial chemical polymerization. The effect of synthesis conditions such as the concentration of SβCD in the polymerization media, the type of oxidant, the reaction temperature, and the electrical properties of polypyrrole-SβCD was investigated. It was found that the concentration of SβCD strongly affects the morphology. The resulting polymer was characterized with SEM, UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, EDAX, and ESCA measurements. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.