Polypyrrole micro- and nanowires synthesized by electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole in the aqueous solutions of pyrenesulfonic acid

Polypyrrole (PPy) micro- and nanowires were synthesized through electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole in the aqueous solutions of 1-pyrenesulfonic acid (PSA), in which PSA acted as both surfactant and dopant. Macroscopic studies (SEM and TEM) indicated that the PPy wires have diameters of 120–500 nm and length of several micrometers. Electrochemical investigation demonstrated that the PPy wires have much stronger electrochemical activity than the conventional flat PPy film because of their higher specific surface area. Furthermore, the PSA doped PPy wires showed strong emission in an aqueous dispersion. A possible micelle guided formation mechanism has been proposed and investigated.