Study of Polypyrrole/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Structural and Morphological Changes Including Porosity

Polypyrrole/graphene oxide (PPy/GO) nanocomposite films were electrochemically synthesized to study their structural features. For this purpose, pyrrole monomer was exposed to oxidation in an aqueous dilute solution containing definite amounts of GO and a dopant electrolyte. Potentiostatic electropolymerization was carried out and the current-time curves were obtained for each electrodeposition test. Accordingly, a number of appropriate characterization analyses such as mercury porosimetry, TGA, SEM, XRD, Raman and FTIR spectroscopies were performed in order to investigate the composition and structure of the films. In this regard, factors such as incorporation of GO in the polymer matrix, porous layer structure and the thickness of the films were determined. The results showed that GO concentration could influence on both film thickness and its porous structure. Also, it was observed that the main factor controlling the film thickness and morphology is the potential applied.