Polymethacrylate functionalized polypyrrole network films on indium tin oxide: Electropolymerization of a precursor polymer and comonomer

The electropolymerization and deposition of conjugated polypyrrole network films on planar indium tin oxide electrode surfaces is described. The precursor polymer, a polymethacrylate functionalized with pyrrole, PPHMA2, was synthesized and then electropolymerized on ITO substrates. The possibility of inter- and intramolecular polymerization resulted in a crosslinked conjugated network microstructure. The pyrrole group was chosen because of its good electropolymerizablity and organic semiconductor characteristics. To induce greater electropolymerizability toward linear polypyrrole units and control of surface morphology, PPHMA2 was copolymerized with pyrrole monomer at various composition (feed) ratios. The spectroscopic, morphological, and composition properties of the films were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Interesting trends were observed on structure-property relationships with respect to film composition.