Polymer Engineering Faculty Research
Preparation of Conductive Polypyrrole/ Polyurethane Composite Foams by In Situ Polymerization of Pyrrole
Abstract
Conductive composite foams were prepared by exposing iodine-loaded polyurethane (PU) foams to pyrrole vapor. The kinetics, equilibrium, and mechanism of the in situ polymerization of pyrrole by iodine within a PU foam was investigated. The dopant for the polypyrrole (PPy) was primarily I3−, which formed a charge-transfer complex (PPy-I2) with the amine group of the PPy. The conductivity of the composite foams increased with increasing concentration of the PPy-I2 complex and depended on the distribution of the PPy-I2 complex in the PU matrix and the concentration ratio of PPy and iodine. The chemical structure, morphology, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the composite foams were also characterized.
This paper has been withdrawn.