Electrochemical properties and conductivity of poly(3-methylpyrrole/ClO4)

Electrosynthesis of conducting poly(3-methylpyrrole) has been carried out at fixed potentials of 0.5 and 0.6 V in a NaClO4 acetonitrile solution. The electrochemical behaviour of doped-polymer films has been analysed considering the influence of the negative and positive potential limits as well as the scan rate on the voltammograms recorded in acetonitrile. From these studies a mechanism for the redox processes is proposed. Polymer morphology has been examined by scanning electron microscopy, which reveals a cauliflower and compact texture depending on the potential of synthesis and deposition time. Kinetic of conductivity decay with aging time has been determined to be dependent of exp(−t1/2) with a characteristic time of the degradation process around 20 days.