Conductive composite films based on polypyrrole and crosslinked poly(styrene/ butyl acrylate/acrylic acid)

A new conductive composite film based on polypyrrole and crosslinked poly(s tyrene/butyl acrylate/acrylic acid) (PSBA) was synthesized by vapor phase p olymerization of pyrrole within the silicon crosslinked PSBA using anhydrou s ferric chloride as oxidant. These films had high conductivity and good me chanical properties. They were very flexible and strong(eg elongation yield : 94.7%, tensile strength: 6.2 MPa), and the maximum conductivity achieved was 2.2 S cm(-1) and the lowest surface resistance was 74 Omega cm(-2). The factors affecting the properties of the conductive composite film were inv estigated in detail. The surface resistance and the conductivity were stron gly affected by the over-oxidative reaction of polypyrrole which took place mainly at the outermost surface layer of the film. The mechanical properti es, however, were largely unaffected. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.