SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE STUDY OF ELECTROPOLYMERIZED POLYPYRROLE WITH POLYMERIC ANION

The scanning tunneling microscope was used to study the structure of electropolymerized polypyrrole formed with the large polymeric anion poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS-) on graphite and Au/Si surfaces. The samples were imaged in air and analyzed to address questions concerning the individual chain conformation, film morphology, structure differences between films doped with small and large anions, and the addition and removal of both monomeric and polymeric counterions. The images of the helical chain structure of polypyrrole coated with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PPY/PSS) are presented. The results are evidence for crystalline structure of PPY/PSS films at the nucleation stage of growth.