Covering anodized aluminum with electropolymerized polypyrrole via manganese oxide layer and application to solid electrolytic capacitor

A new technology for covering an etched and anodized aluminum (Al) foil with polypyrrole (PPy) was developed. PPy was electropolymerized from an external electrode via an extremely thin semiconducting manganese oxide layer prepared on the etched and anodized Al foil in advance. Pyrolytic and reduced manganese oxide could be used with little difference in the performance of the PPy layer growth. To obtain a high coverage ratio, the optimal starting materials were manganese nitrate for the pyrolysis process and sodium permanganate for the reduction process. On the basis of the technology, two kinds of Al solid electrolytic capacitors, in which the PPy layers are used as electrolytes, were produced and characterized. These capacitors showed almost equal ideal impedance-frequency characteristics, excellent temperature characteristics and environmental stability, and independence of the manganese oxide synthesis route.