Preparation and electrical and dielectric characterization of PVA/PPY blends

We present the dielectric characterization of conducting polymeric blends composed by conductive polypyrrole (PPY) regions formed inside a matrix of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) containing ferric chloride (FeCl3). The incorporation of PPY into the PVA matrix results from in situ polymerization after the (PVA + FeCl3) matrix is exposed to the vapor of pyrrole. The physical properties of the samples are dependent on the amount of incorporated PPY as their electrical characteristics can vary from the limit of a highly insulating material to that of a very conducting polymeric film, similar in conductivity to doped electrochemically prepared PPY. We examine the dielectric properties of the blends as a function of the time of exposition to the pyrrole vapor. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.