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Templateless synthesis of polypyrrole nanowires by non-static solution-surface electropolymerization

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Abstract

Polypyrrole nanowires (PPy-NWs) are synthesized by a novel templateless approach based on non-static solution-surface (NSSS) electropolymerization. The mechanism responsible for PPy-NW formation is the simultaneous oxidation of pyrrole and water, with concomitant formation of hydroxyl radicals and dioxygen nanobubbles. In particular, a localized PPy-NW deposition at the solution-air interface is enabled by solution-surface electropolymerization due to the surface excess of the monomer at the interface favored by the large surface tension of the solvent. In the proposed approach, solution-surface electropolymerization is performed in non-static conditions (NSSS), as the solution-air interface is shifted by flowing the electrolyte solution over the electrode surface. This allows a PPy-NW homogeneous deposition on whatever large area electrode to be rapidly achieved. Parameters influencing the morphology of PPy-NWs are studied, particularly focusing on flow rate, pH of the electrolyte solution, and electropolymerization time. The growth process of PPy-NWs is examined and the way of tuning their resulting morphology is discussed. Morphological investigation by scanning electron microscopy and chemical/electrochemical characterization of PPy-NWs by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively, further support the proposed nanowire formation mechanism. Nanowires with diameter in the range of 40–300 nm are obtained, and the possibility of depositing differently sized nanowires with a predetermined spatial distribution on the same substrate is also demonstrated.

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Acknowledgments

This activity was partly funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) Futuro in Ricerca (FIR) program under Grant no. RBFR122KL1 (SENS4BIO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali (Di.S.Te.B.A.), Università del Salento, via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Antonio Turco, Elisabetta Mazzotta & Cosimino Malitesta

  2. CNR-IFN Bari, Via Amendola 173, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Cinzia Di Franco, Maria Vittoria Santacroce & Gaetano Scamarcio

  3. Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica “M. Merlin”, Università di Bari, Via Amendola 173, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Maria Vittoria Santacroce & Gaetano Scamarcio

  4. Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi”, Università del Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Anna Grazia Monteduro

  5. CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Anna Grazia Monteduro & Elisabetta Primiceri

Authors
  1. Antonio Turco
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  2. Elisabetta Mazzotta
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  3. Cinzia Di Franco
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  4. Maria Vittoria Santacroce
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  5. Gaetano Scamarcio
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  6. Anna Grazia Monteduro
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  7. Elisabetta Primiceri
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  8. Cosimino Malitesta
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Correspondence to Elisabetta Mazzotta.

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Dedication in memory of Pier Giorgio Zambonin

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Turco, A., Mazzotta, E., Di Franco, C. et al. Templateless synthesis of polypyrrole nanowires by non-static solution-surface electropolymerization. J Solid State Electrochem 20, 2143–2151 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-016-3206-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-016-3206-7

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