Uniform hollow conductive polymer microspheres synthesized with the sulfonated polystyrene template

Sulfonated polystyrene (PS) microspheres have been used as template to produce hollow polyaniline (PANI) and hollow polypyrrole (PPY) microspheres in the size of range 2.2-3.4 μm in diameter. The template particles were prepared by simply sulfonation of dry PS microspheres. Aniline or pyrrole was oxidatively polymerized on the surface of sulfonated PS. Dissolved with solvent, sulfonated PS cores were removed from core-shell particles and uniform hollow PANI or PPY microspheres were obtained. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicated the appropriate thick and strong PANI or PPY hollow shells were obtained when used the sulfonated PS as template whose sulfonated time was 12 h. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) showed that there were groups containing sulfur on the surface of sulfonated PS due to sulfonation. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that hollow PANI spheres maintained their oxidative stability and electrochemical properties after removing the cores.