Synergistic enhancement of electrical and mechanical properties of polypyrrole thin films by hybridization of SiO2 with vapor phase polymerization

This paper introduce co-vaporization/polymerization of pyrrole and TEOS on the FTS coated PET substrate for making homogeneous blend of PPy-SiO2 thin film, even though the polymerization mechanisms of two kinds of monomer are completely different. The hybrid film has a relatively smoother surface and flat morphology as compared with pristine PPy films as shown in SEM and AFM analysis (Fig. (a)-(d)). This might be due to the slow formation of PPy-SiO2 hybrid films, which facilitates the realization of smaller conductive hybrid particles and results in a smooth and flat surface. Fig. (e, f) shows the micropatterning of PPy-SiO2 hybrid film by using FTS is patterned by MIMIC followed by VPP. The line and apace of PPy-SiO2 microstructures formed by a combination of MIMIC and VPP is typically 10 μm, which well reflects the original mold shape. The selective formation of hybrid film can be clearly confirmed by regional EDS analysis.347