MORPHOLOGY OF POLYPYRROLE FILMS GROWN IN THIN-LAYER CELLS AND ON INDIUM-TIN OXIDE CONDUCTIVE GLASS

Examination by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the non-conducting substrate poly(methyl methacrylate) and the polypyrrole free-standing film formed at its surface in a thin-layer cell has led to an understanding of how such films may be formed. A mechanism is proposed for the origin of the wrinkle morphology observed in thin-layer cells under certain conditions, and attention is drawn to its similarity to the morphology of polypyrrole films formed on indium-tin oxide glass electrodes. In both cases it is proposed that the porous surface of the substrate on which the film grows acts as a template for nucleation sites.