Electrochemical synthesis of polyaniline on conducting fabrics of polyester covered with polypyrrole/PW12O403-. Chemical and electrochemical characterization

Polyaniline (Pani) has been electrochemically polymerized on conducting fabrics of polyester covered with polypyrrole/PW12O403-, obtaining a double conducting polymer layer. Electrochemical synthesis was performed by potentiostatic synthesis at 1 V. The chemical characterization of the material before and after Pani polymerization was performed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphology of the coatings was observed employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical characterization was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). It has been demonstrated that scan rate is an important parameter that influences the response obtained when characterizing conducting fabrics by CV. High scan rates do not allow the observation of redox peaks. However if lower scan rates are employed its apparition has been reported. The electrochemical deposit of polyaniline enhances the electroactivity of the material as it has been demonstrated by CV. SECM measurements showed local response with positive feedback (electroactive material) for the samples in open circuit conditions. XPS analysis also showed a higher doping level (N+/N), consistent with higher material electroactivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.