Polypyrrole/Al2O3 nanocomposites: preparation, characterisation and electromagnetic shielding properties

Polypyrrole (PPy)/Al2O3 nanocomposites were prepared by chemical polymerisation of pyrrole in the presence of Al2O3 nanoparticles using iron trichloride (FeCl3) as an oxidant. The obtained nanocomposites were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. Upon exposure to an electromagnetic wave in the X-band ranging from 8 to 12 GHz, PPy/Al2O3 composite was shown to be an effective electromagnetic absorbent. More than 53% of the incident microwave radiation was absorbed after passing through a thick composite coated textile.