The composites of silver with globular or nanotubular polypyrrole: The control of silver content

• Polypyrrole nanotubes have high conductivity, 10–30 S cm−1.
• The conductivity can be in principle still increased by incorporation of silver.
• Polypyrrole–silver composites are produced when silver nitrate is used as oxidant of pyrrole.
• Silver content can be controlled by using a mixture of oxidants, silver and iron(III) nitrates.
• Composites of globular and nanotubular polypyrrole with silver are compared.

Polypyrrole/silver composites were prepared by chemical polymerization of pyrrole using a mixture of oxidants, silver nitrate and iron(III) nitrate, in aqueous medium at room temperature. The silver content from 0 to 78 wt.% was controlled by varying the proportions of both oxidants. Polypyrrole had globular morphology or was obtained as nanotubes in the presence of methyl orange. The morphology of composites was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Silver was present as a larger objects of 150–200 nm size in globular polypyrrole morphologies or as ≈70 nm nanoparticles accompanying the polypyrrole nanotubes. The molecular structure is discussed on the basis of infrared and Raman spectra. Conductivity of the composites of silver with polypyrrole nanotubes is 10–30 S cm−1. For composites with globular polypyrrole, the conductivity was lower, 0.17–0.7 S cm−1.

Conducting polypyrrole/silver composites in globular and nanotubular forms were prepared via single-step approach using mixed oxidants, silver nitrate and iron(III) nitrate, in various proportions to control the silver content.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide