Fabrication of Electrically Conducting Polypyrrole‐Poly(ethylene oxide) Composite Nanofibers

Summary: Electrically conducting polypyrrole‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PPy‐PEO) composite nanofibers are fabricated via a two‐step process. First, FeCl₃‐containing PEO nanofibers are produced by electrospinning. Second, the PEO‐FeCl₃ electrospun fibers are exposed to pyrrole vapor for the synthesis of polypyrrole. The vapor phase polymerization occurs through the diffusion of pyrrole monomer into the nanofibers. The collected non‐woven fiber mat is composed of 96 ± 30 nm diameter PPy‐PEO nanofibers. FT‐IR, XPS, and conductivity measurements confirm polypyrrole synthesis in the nanofiber.

An SEM image of the PPy‐PEO composite nanofibers. The scale bar in the image is 500 nm.     

Putting Electrospun Nanofibers to Work for Biomedical Research

Electrospinning has been exploited for almost one century to process polymers and related materials into nanofibers with controllable compositions, diameters, porosities, and porous structures for a variety of applications. Owing to its high porosity and large surface area, a non‐woven mat of electrospun nanofibers can serve as an ideal scaffold to mimic the extracellular matrix for cell attachment and nutrient transportation. The nanofiber itself can also be functionalized through encapsulation or attachment of bioactive species such as extracellular matrix proteins, enzymes, and growth factors. In addition, the nanofibers can be further assembled into a variety of arrays or architectures by manipulating their alignment, stacking, or folding. All these attributes make electrospinning a powerful tool for generating nanostructured materials for a range of biomedical applications that include controlled release, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

     

Studies on Molecular Composites of Polyamide 6/Polyamide 66

Summary: A series of molecular composites of PA 6/PA 66 was synthesized via in situ polymerization. The impact resistance of PA 6 was improved dramatically by incorporating a minor amount of PA 66 (2–10 wt.‐%), without decreasing the tensile strength. Inserting PA 66 macromolecules at a molecular level into a PA 6 matrix may interfere with the arrangement of the hydrogen bonds of PA 6, in turn changing the crystalline structure and impeding the crystallization of PA 6.

SEM micrograph of the fractured surface of a PA 6/PA 66 composite containing 10 wt.‐% PA 66.     

Preparation of polybenzoxazole fibers via electrospinning and postspun thermal cyclization of polyhydroxyamide

Polybenzoxazole (PBO) fibers with a submicron diameter were successfully prepared by electrospinning its precursor, polyhydroxyamide (PHA), solutions to obtain the PHA fibers first, followed by appropriate thermal treatments for cyclization reaction. BisAPAF‐IC PHA with two different molecular weights (MWs) were synthesized from a low temperature polymerization of 2,2′‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (BisAPAF) and isophthaloyl chloride (IC). Using dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and tetrahydrofuran (THF), solvent effects on the electrospinnability of PHA solutions were investigated. For balancing the solution properties, it was found that DMAc/THF mixture with a weight ratio of 1/9 was the best cosolvent to prepare smooth PHA fibers; uniform PHA fibers with a diameter of 325–720 nm were obtained by using 20 wt % PHA/(DMAc/THF) solutions. For a fixed PHA concentration, solutions with a lower MW of PHA yielded thinner electrospun fibers under the same electrospinning condition. After obtaining the electrospun BisAPAF‐IC PHA fibers, subsequent thermal cyclization up to 350 °C produced the corresponding thermally stable BisAPAF‐IC PBO fibers with a diameter of 305–645 nm. The structure of the precursor fibers and the fully cyclized fibers were characterized by FTIR. For the cyclized BisAPAF‐IC PBO fibers, thermogravimetric analysis showed a 5% weight loss temperature at 523 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The interconnected fiber structure in the BisAPAF‐IC PBO fiber mats was irrelevant to the curing process, but resulted from the jet merging during the whipping process as revealed by the high speed camera images. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 8159–8169, 2008     

Interfacial Characterization of Polypyrrole/AuNP Composites towards Electrocatalysis of Ascorbic Acid Oxidation

Polypyrrole (PPy) is an interesting conducting polymer due to its good environmental stability, high conductivity, and biocompatibility. The association between PPy and metallic nanoparticles has been widely studied since it enhances electrochemical properties. In this context, gold ions are reduced to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) directly on the polymer surface as PPy can be oxidized to an overoxidized state. This work proposes the PPy electrochemical synthesis followed by the direct reduction of gold on its surface in a fast reaction. The modified electrodes were characterized by electronic microscopic and infrared spectroscopy. The effect of reduction time on the electrochemical properties was evaluated by the electrocatalytic properties of the obtained material from the oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies. The presence of AuNPs improved the AA electrocatalysis by reducing oxidation potential and lowering charge transfer resistance. EIS data were fitted using a transmission line model. The results indicated an increase in the electronic transport of the polymeric film in the presence of AuNPs. However, PPy overoxidation occurs when the AuNPs’ deposition is higher than 30 s. In PPy/AuNPs 15 s, smaller and less agglomerated particles were formed with fewer PPy overoxidized, confirming the observed electrocatalytic behavior.     

Ultrafine Electrospun Conducting Polymer Blend Fibers and Their Photoluminescence Properties

Ultrafine poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene) (MEH-PPV)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend fibers with the average diameters ranging from 625 nm to 1.46 µm were prepared by electrospinning of polymer blend solutions in the mixed solvent of chlorobenzene and methanol. The average diameter of fibers was found to decrease with initial increase in the applied electrical potential and composition of MEH-PPV, reach a minimum value at an intermediate value, and increase with further increase in the applied electrical potential and composition of MEH-PPV, while it was found to decrease with increasing collection distance. PVP was easily removed from MEH-PPV/PVP fibers by the Soxhlet extraction, and after the removal of PVP at high composition of MEH-PPV, pure MEH-PPV fibers were obtained as a ribbon-like structure aligned with wrinkled surface in fiber direction. The increase in MEH-PPV composition and the removal of PVP from as-spun MEH-PPV/PVP fibers resulted in a significant blue-shift in UV-Vis absorption peak and red-shift in PL peak.     

In Situ Synthesis of Robust Conductive Cellulose/Polypyrrole Composite Aerogels and Their Potential Application in Nerve Regeneration

Nanostructured conductive polymers can offer analogous environments for extracellular matrix and induce cellular responses by electric stimulation, however, such materials often lack mechanical strength and tend to collapse under small stresses. We prepared electrically conductive nanoporous materials by coating nanoporous cellulose gels (NCG) with polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles, which were synthesized in situ from pyrrole monomers supplied as vapor. The resulting NCG/PPy composite hydrogels were converted to aerogels by drying with supercritical CO₂, giving a density of 0.41–0.53 g cm^?3, nitrogen adsorption surface areas of 264–303 m² g^?1, and high mechanical strength. The NCG/PPy composite hydrogels exhibited an electrical conductivity of up to 0.08 S cm^?1. In vitro studies showed that the incorporation of PPy into an NCG enhances the adhesion and proliferation of PC12 cells. Electrical stimulation demonstrated that PC12 cells attached and extended longer neurites when cultured on NCG/PPy composite gels with DBSA dopant. These materials are promising candidates for applications in nerve regeneration, carbon capture, catalyst supports, and many others.     

聚吡咯/聚苯胺复合型导电聚合物防腐蚀性能

采用循环伏安法,在含吡咯和苯胺的0.3 mol/L草酸水溶液中制备了聚吡咯/聚苯胺(PPy/Pani)的复合型导电聚合膜。采用红外光谱、极化曲线、自腐蚀电位-时间曲线、扫描电子显微镜和电化学阻抗谱研究了共聚膜的防腐蚀性能。结果表明,在1 mol/L H2SO4中,PPy、Pani与不锈钢基体发生氧化还原反应,促进不锈钢表面发生钝化;当苯胺与吡咯浓度比为1∶3时,制备得到的复合型导电聚合膜所保护的不锈钢自腐蚀电流最小,自腐蚀电位最高,保护时间最长。PPy、Pani及其共聚膜在3.5%NaCl溶液中电化学阻抗谱表明,所制备的PPy、Pani及其共聚物膜与不锈钢基体发生氧化还原反应,使其表面钝化;当Cl-到达不锈钢表面时,破坏钝化膜导致不锈钢腐蚀。     

Preparation and Properties of Composite Polypyrrole/Pt Catalyst Systems

Three different methods for the preparation and modification of conducting polymer/noble metal catalyst systems consisting of polypyrrole (PPy) and platinum (Pt) are described for the anodic oxidation of methanol. The first method consists of the electrochemical deposition of a thin PPy film on glassy carbon substrate, which is modified with Pt either by electroreduction of hexachloroplatinate, codeposition from a nanodispersed Pt solution, or incorporation of tetrachloroplatinate as counterion followed by cathodic reduction. A second method is based on the preparation of nanoscale PPy(PSS) particles by chemical polymerization with polystyrenesulfonate PSS^– as the counterion. This material is a favorable catalyst support for nanodispersed Pt due to its mixed electronic and cationic conductivity. To study the electrochemical properties, the particulate system PPy(PSS)/Pt is fixed in a carbon fiber electrode. A third method was developed which brings the polypyrrole in close contact to a proton exchanger membrane (Nafion) using a special chemical deposition procedure. This method is useful for preparing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consisting of Nafion/PPy/Pt. The structural, morphological, and electrocatalytic properties for methanol oxidation were studied depending on the preparation method applied using surface analytical techniques (TEM, SEM, and EDX) and electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry and transient techniques).     

Preparation of Core‐Sheath Composite Nanofibers by Emulsion Electrospinning

Summary: Uniform core‐sheath nanofibers are prepared by electrospinning a water‐in‐oil emulsion in which the aqueous phase consists of a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solution in water and the oily phase is a chloroform solution of an amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PEG‐PLA) diblock copolymer. The obtained fibers are composed of a PEO core and a PEG‐PLA sheath with a sharp boundary in between. By adjusting the emulsion composition and the emulsification parameters, the overall fiber size and the relative diameters of the core and the sheath can be changed. A mechanism is proposed to explain the process of transformation from the emulsion to the core‐sheath fibers, i.e., the stretching and evaporation induced de‐emulsification. In principle, this process can be applied to other systems to prepare core‐sheath fibers in place of concentric electrospinning and it is especially suitable for fabricating composite nanofibers that contain water‐soluble drugs.

Schematic mechanism for the formation of core‐sheath composite fibers during emulsion electrospinning.     

Polyaniline/poly(methyl methacrylate) coaxial fibers: The fabrication and effects of the solution properties on the morphology of electrospun core fibers

Electrically conductive polyaniline (PANi)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) coaxial fibers were prepared through the chemical deposition of PANi onto preformed PMMA fibers via in situ polymerization. PMMA fibers were prepared as core materials via electrospinning. Spectral studies and scanning electron microscopy observations indicated the formation of PANi/PMMA coaxial fibers with a diameter of approximately 290 nm and a PANi layer thickness of approximately 30 nm. The conductivity of the PANi/PMMA coaxial fibers was significantly higher than that of electrospun fibers of PANi/poly(ethylene oxide) blends and blend cast films of the same PANi composition. To reproducibly generate uniform‐core polymer fibers, the organic solution properties that affected the morphology and diameter of the electrospun fibers were investigated. The polymer molecular weight, solution concentration, solvent dielectric constant, and addition of soluble organic salts were strongly correlated to the morphology of the electrospun fiber mat. In particular, the dielectric constants of the solvents substantially influenced both the fiber diameter and bead formation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3934–3942, 2004     

Novel Electrospun Nanofibers Composed of Polyelectrolyte Complexes

A simple method to obtain novel nanofibers composed of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) has been proposed. It consists of the electrospinning of a mixed homogeneous solution of polyelectrolyte partners, and the formation of PEC during the electrospinning. This was achieved by careful choice of the composition of the spinning solutions. Chitosan was the polycationic partner, with either a weak polyacid [poly(acrylic acid), PAA] as a counterpart or a strong one [poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid), PAMPS]. The fibrous mats were composed of nanofibers with mean diameters of ca. 100 nm. They retained their integrity over the pH range which is typical of the corresponding PEC.

     

聚酰胺螺旋纤维的多级自组装行为研究

以含聚异丙二醇（PPG）链段的聚醚胺和己二酸为原料,合成了温度响应性聚酰胺APA;FT-IR和GPC的结果表明合成产物具有酰胺结构的聚合物;Micro-DSC和变温紫外测试的结果表明,合成的APA具有33℃的最低临界互溶温度;TEM和AFM的结果表明当组装体溶液浓度为1 mg/mL时,APA在常温下可以组装成长纤维,其形成经历了“胶束-胶束多聚体-胶束融合-长纤维”等多级自组装过程.而当温度升为60℃,这些长纤维会转变为平均螺距为35 nm的螺旋纤维.螺旋纤维的形成本质上是当温度高于LCST时,APA纤维中的PPG链段坍塌,从而诱导纤维发生扭转,最终导致螺旋结构的出现.     

An Unusual Crystallization Behavior in Polyamide 6/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

The crystallization behavior and structure of polyamide 6 (PA6) nanocomposites containing 3 wt.‐% montmorillonite (MMT) were investigated for different cooling conditions using differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction. In sharp contrast to PA6 and other semicrystalline polymers, increased cooling rates resulted in higher crystallinity of PA6/MMT. The highest crystallinity (60.8%) occurred in the liquid nitrogen‐quenched PA6/MMT film. The results show that the γ‐crystalline form is dominant in the rapidly cooled PA6/MMT.     

Polypyrrole film with striped pattern

We produced a stripe‐patterned surface using a polypyrrole film and a polyurethane elastic sheet. The pattern was obtained as follows. First, we drew the polyurethane sheet. The polypyrrole film was then formed onto the sheet that was kept drawn. After releasing the drawing, we obtained a stripe‐patterned surface made of the polypyrrole film. The elongation ratio of the sheet and the thickness of the polypyrrole film controlled the width and the depth of the stripe. The width obtained ranged from ca. 5 to 100 μm and the depth ranged from ca. 1 to 15 μm. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2460–2466, 2004     

壳层可控导电聚吡咯/聚苯乙烯复合微球及聚吡咯中空微胶囊的制备

在导电聚合物含量较小时,含核壳结构的导电聚合物复合粒子就可以具有和本体相当的导电率,且加工性好,近年来这种核壳结构微粒的制备已引起了科学家们的广泛关注．Armes等[制备了导电聚吡咯、导电聚苯胺包覆聚苯乙烯的核壳结构胶体粒子及聚苯胺和二氧化硅的纳米复合物．刘正平等用改进的方法在粒径为116nm的单分散聚苯乙烯乳胶粒子上包覆聚吡咯,     

Heparin‐Controlled Growth of Polypyrrole Nanowires

Summary: Heparin, a potent anticoagulant, has been used for the first time for the synthesis of PPy nanowires serving not only as an anion dopant but also as an effective morphology‐directing agent. The obtained PPy nanowires exhibit long and fine structures with smooth surface and the average diameter of the nanowires is about 90–100 nm and lengths are several hundred nanometers to micrometers. The possible formation mechanism of PPy nanowires may be related to the chain structure of heparin with functional groups ( SO and  COO⁻) on the surface. The effect of concentrations of pyrrole monomers and heparin on the morphology and size of PPy nanowires has been investigated.

SEM image of PPy nanowires synthesized in the presence of heparin.     

Reversible Superhydrophobicity to Superhydrophilicity Transition by Extending and Unloading an Elastic Polyamide Film

Summary: Reversible switching between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic wettability of a polyamide film with a triangular net‐like structure can be achieved by biaxially extending and unloading the elastic film. Both the change of the average side‐length of the triangular net‐like structure upon biaxial extension and unloading, and the surface tension of the water droplet, are believed to be responsible for the reversible switching between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity.

Change in structure and wettability of the triangular net‐like polyamide film upon extension and unloading.