Synthesis and Characterisation of Polymer Composite

Abstract

Present thesis focuses on the electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole and its composites with ferri-cyanide and gold nanoparticles. The composite films were studied for their morphology, thermal properties, and electrochemical properties. Morphology of pyrole-FeCN composite was studies using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Polypyrole surface showed algal surface which further changed into grain like structure after the formation of its composite with FeCN. FTIR studies of PPy-FeCN composite showed that prominent peaks of polypyrole got shifted. Cyclic voltametric studies of PPy-FeCN composite showed the presence of oxidation peak of pyrole at 0.9 V as well as redox couple of Fe+2/Fe+3. TGA studies of polypyrole showed huge weight loss (49.30%) up to a temperature of 5200 C which is due to the degradation of polypyrrole. But in polypyrrole-FeCN composite degradation of polypyrrole occurs at temperature of 6000 C because due to the formation of composite its strength increases. After that there is a change of weight upto 9000 C corresponding to the decomposition of FeCN molecule. In case of PPy-AuNP composite, morphology has been studied using TEM. TEM image clearly showed the presence of square shaped gold nanoparticles in polymer matrix which are entrapped during the electrochemical polymerization of pyrole.Electrochemcial characterization showed the presence of reduction peak of gold at 0.9 V as well as an oxidation peak of pyrole at 0.95 V. Impedance studies showed that PPy-AuNP composite has less charge transfer resistance as compared to polypyrole. The characteristic FTIR peaks of PPy- AuNPs are found to shift to higher wave number.