Doping optimization of polypyrrole with toluenesulfonic acid using Box-Behnken design

Abstract

A three-level Box-Behnken design was employed in doping optimization of polypyrrole with toluenesulfonic acid (TSA-doped PPy). The material was synthesized via chemical oxidative polymerization using pyrrole, toluenesulfonic acid (TSA) and ammonium persulfate (APS) as monomer, dopant and oxidant, respectively. The critical factors selected for this study were concentration of dopant, molar ratio between dopant to monomer (pyrrole) and concentration of oxidant. Obtaining adequate doping level of TSA-doped PPy is crucial because it affects the charge carriers for doped PPy and usually be responsible for electronic mobility along polymeric chain. Furthermore, the doping level also affects other properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity. Doping level was calculated using elemental analysis. SEM images shows that the prepared TSA-doped PPy particles are spherical in shape with the diameters of about. The range of nanoparticles size is around 80-100 nm. The statistical analysis based on a Box–Behnken design showed that 0.01 mol of TSA, 1:1 mole ratio TSA to pyrrole and 0.25 M APS were the optimum conditions for sufficient doping level.