DIAPHRAGMATIC CHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION OF PYRROLE IN THE NAFION FILM

A diaphragmatic procedure, in which a supporting film (Nafion) was put between pyrrole monomer and oxidant solution chambers, gave conducting polypyrrole-Nafion composite films through chemical polymerization of pyrrole. Two types of composite films were obtained with respect to the polarity of the adopted oxidants. One was the asymmetrical conducting composite film in the case of an anionic S2O82- oxidant. The anionic oxidant scarcely penetrated into the Nafion owing to the Donnan exclusion effect of the fixed negative charge in the Nafion. Pyrrole permeating the Nafion was polymerized only in the oxidant side of the Nafion. The oxidant side of the resulting composite film was conducting, while its monomer side was insulating. The other showed considerable conductivity at both the oxidant side and the monomer side, when a cationic Fe3+ oxidant was used. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.