Polypyrrole Nanocapsules via Interfacial Polymerization

The interfacial polymerization technique was developed for the preparation of the polypyrrole (PPy) nanocapsules in toluene/water microemulsion under static and stirring conditions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated a hollow morphology. The morphology of the resulting PPy nanocapsules was also affected significantly by the feeding ratio of the monomer and water. The formation of micelles was considered to be the driving force for the formation and stability of the capsules, and the surfactant (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS)) can also act as a doping reagent. The doping level was examined by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and electrical conductivity. The intact PPy capsules were obtained with the same microemulsion composition to determine if the stirring was employed. A comparison of the resulting PPy and polyaniline (PANi) capsules prepared using the interfacial polymerization method was also given.