Synthesis of fly-ash cenospheres coated with polypyrrole using a layer-by-layer method

Abstract

Uniform polypyrrole (PPy) films, of controlled thickness, were successfully synthesized and immobilized on polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayer-assembled fly-ash cenospheres (FACs) using a simple and versatile method. In this approach, FACs were assembled with multilayers of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) using a layer-by-layer self-assembly procedure. The FACs were used as templates for the subsequent deposition of PPy. The deposition behaviours of PEs on the surfaces of the FACs were examined, and the results could be fitted to a first-order exponential decay model at pH 6. The surfaces of the PE-deposited FACs (FAC-(PDDA-PSS)n, n is the number of PE layers) became more homogeneous as n increased. Their properties were determined mainly by the PE, not by the FAC itself, after n = 4. PPy-coated FACs with PE precursor layers [(PPy/FAC-(PDDA-PSS)n] had different morphologies for different numbers of PE layers. The PPy loading amount on the FACs and the conductivities of the composites reached plateaus after the PE layer deposition number exceeded six.