Molybdenum blues based conducting nanocomposites of polypyrrole, poly N-vinylcarbazole and of their binary combination

Abstract

Molybdenum blues (MB) based nanocomposites of polypyrrole (PPY), poly N-vinylcarbazole (PNVC) and their binary combination (PPY–PNVC) were prepared by in situ polymerization (without using external oxidant) of PY and NVC and also by using ammonium perdisulfate oxidant (PDS). Formation and incorporation of PPY and PNVC in the respective MB based composite was confirmed by FTIR spectral analyses. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses revealed the formation of PPY–MB, PNVC–MB and PPY–MB–PNVC composite particles with average diameter in the nanometer range. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) showed the following thermal stability trend: MB > PPY–MB > PNVC–MB > PPY–MB–PNVC > PPY ≥ PNVC. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) for the PPY–MB–PNVC composite revealed exothermic oxidative degradation process characteristics of PPY and PNVC backbones. DC conductivity values (S/cm) for PPY–MB, PNVC–MB and PPY–MB–PNVC were 1.5 × 10 −5 and 7 × 10 −2 (a value 10 12-fold improved compared to that of unmodified PNVC—10 −12 to 10 −16), respectively.