Fabrication of polypyrrole nanoparticles through electrospraying

Abstract

This article reports the fabrication of Polypyrrole nanoparticles with an average size as low as about 187 nm through electrospraying pyrrole on an oxidizing collector. Polypyrrole has not yet been electrosprayed or electrospun directly because dissolving polypyrrole is very difficult. The tiny electrosprayed droplets of pyrrole start to polymerize after reaching the collector and the final polypyrrole nanoparticles form after polymerization process ends. It was found that the drying time of the oxidant layer after being coated on the collector plays an important role in the formation of polypyrrole nanoparticles. Moreover, adding dopant to pyrrole solution proved to be more satisfactory than adding dopant to pure pyrrole or oxidant. It was also found that higher voltages lead to smaller and more uniform particles. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis proved the formation of polypyrrole.