Electrical resistance and diffusion permeability of microporous polyethylene membranes modified with polypyrrole and polyaniline in solutions of electrolytes

Abstract

Composite systems based on a microporous polyethylene (PE) membrane modified with conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI) have been elaborated. Conducting polymers were deposited onto PE membranes in situ during the oxidative polymerization of pyrrole from gas phase or by the polymerization of aniline in aqueous medium. Composite membranes have a low resistance in electrolyte solutions owing to the coating with conducting polymers inside the pores. The dependence of electrical resistance of modified membranes on concentration of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide solutions, in which the conducting polymers are in protonated or non-protonated states, respectively, was studied using alternating and direct electric currents. Diffusion permeability of composite membranes to acid, salt and alkali solutions has been also studied.