Electrochemical fabrication of nanoporous polypyrrole thin films

Polypyrrole thin films with pores in nanometer scale were synthesized by direct electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole in a mixed electrolyte of isopropyl alcohol, boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, sodium dodecylsulfonate and poly(ethylene glycol) using well-aligned ZnO nanowires arrays as templates. The thin films exhibit high conductivity of ca. σrt ∼ 20.5  s/cm and can be driven to bend during redox processes in 1.0  M lithium perchlorate aqueous solution. The movement rate of an actuator based on this nanoporous film was measured to be over 90°/s at a driving potential of 0.8  V (vs. Ag/AgCl).