Preparation of polypyrrole by chemical oxidation: applications for sensor studies

Polypyrrole has gained more attention in conducting polymer science due to its ease of preparation and many advantages. In this article, by chemical oxidation method, three different polypyrroles were prepared using ferric chloride as an oxidant, including surfactant and natural directing agent, and named the samples PPY-1, PPY-2, and PPY-3. XRD, XPS, EDX, FT-IR, SEM, and electrical conductivity was used to characterize the synthesized polypyrrole. XRD confirms that the prepared samples were polypyrrole by showing peaks in the range of 20°–23°. SEM analysis shows that the sizes are between 120 and 180 nm. The present research work is a modest attempt to demonstrate for the first-time detection of hazardous gas using natural directing agent during polypyrrole synthesis. The prepared samples were used for the sensing of butane. PPY-2 shows a high electrical conductivity of 14 × 10–3 S cm−1 and gas sensing with a sensitivity value of 42.03 with lesser response and recovery time. This study reveals the fabrication of low-cost materials for butane sensors. Graphical Abstract: Schematic diagram for the preparation of polypyrrole and its applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Polymer Society of Korea.