Organic Conductor Films: Fabrication and Characterization

Abstract

Polypyrrole-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PPy-PVA) conducting polymer composite films were prepared on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) glass electrode from an aqueous solution containing pyrrole monomer, p-toluenesulfonate electrolyte and poly(vinyl alcohol) insulating polymer by electrochemical method. The prepared composite films were characterized by conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding measurements, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and optical microscopy. The conductivity data of PPy-PVA shows that with the increase in PVA concentration in aqueous pyrrole solution used to prepare the films, the conductivity of the prepared PPy-PVA composite films increased upto a certain level and later it showed a decreasing trend with further increase in PVA concentration used to prepare the composite films. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) shows the evidence of the enhanced mechanical properties of PPy-PVA composite film over PPy film. The optical micrographs show the changes of morphology of the prepared composite films with the PVA concentration. The results of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness measured in the microwave range of 8-12 GHz show that a shielding effectiveness of 45.67 dB was exhibited by PPy-PVA composite films.