Radiolytic synthesis of conducting polypyrrole/carbon nanotube composites

Conducting polypyrrole (PPy)/multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites have been synthesized by the in situ gamma radiation-induced chemical polymerization method at room temperature. The resulting cable-like morphology of the composite (PPy-MWNT) structures was characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, field-emission scanning electron microscope, thermal gravimetric analysis, Xray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope. The standard four-point probe method was utilized for measuring the conductivity of the samples. We observed no significant chemical reaction between the polymer and carbon nanotube, which only showed that polypyrrole chains are tightly coated on to MWNT. The physical properties of the composites (PPy-MWNT) were measured and showed that the MWNT were modified by conducting polypyrrole with various properties enhanced. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.