Intrinsic flexible polypyrrole film with excellent electrochemical performance

Intrinsic polypyrrole (PPy) flexible film was successfully prepared by chemical oxidation with methyl orange-FeCl3 reactive self-degradable template method when the molar ratio of FeCl3 to monomer was 0.5. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images show that the obtained PPy film was composed with different size of nanotubes which diameter is about 50-60 nm and length is 5-6 mu m. Electrochemical performance of PPy film was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 1 M KCl aqueous electrolyte. The specific capacitance of the electrodes made by the PPy film is high up to 576 F g(-1) at a current density of 0.2 A g(-1) and retains 82 % after 1000 charge-discharge processes at a current density of 3 A g(-1). The excellent electrochemical performance provides wide application of PPy as supercapacitor materials.