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Bio‐Inspired Dopamine Functionalization of Polypyrrole for Improved Adhesion and Conductivity |
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| Authors: | Wei Zhang Fut K Yang Zihe Pan Jian Zhang Boxin Zhao |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1;2. Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1;3. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1 |
| Abstract: | We report the functionalization of polypyrrole (PPy) with a “sticky” biomolecule dopamine (DA), which mimics the essential component of mussel adhesive protein. PPy is one of the most promising electrically conductive polymers with good biocompatibility. The research findings reveal that the DA functionalization enhances the dispersibility and stability of PPy in water and its film adhesion to substrate surface significantly. The electrical conductivity of PPy increases to a maximum value and then decreases with the increasing DA concentration. An optimal DA to pyrrole (Py) mole ratio is found to be between 0.1 and 0.2, at which both conductivity and adhesion of DA‐functionalized PPy has been improved.  |
| Keywords: | adhesion dopamine electrical conductivity functionalization polypyrrole |