Selective templated growth of polypyrrole strands on lipid tubule edges

The synthesis of polymers (particularly conducting polymers) in confined ar eas and volumes is of great interest as a strategy in microstructure and na nostructure fabrication. Our interest is oriented toward the formation of n ew morphologies created by preferential surface templating. In this report, we describe the polymerization of pyrrole (py) in the presence of diacetyl enic phospholipid tubules. These tubules, much studied by Schnur, Yager, an d coworkers,(1) are similar to 500 nm wide and several micrometers long. Pp y growth is templated specifically on the edges/seams of the tubule and not on its walls. An unusual long strand morphology (10-100 nm wide and microm eters long) results. Attempts to alter the balance between template (i.e., edged-localized) polymerization and solution polymerization reveals that th e propensity for template polymerization is overwhelmingly large. The prope rties of the Ppy thus obtained, and possible templating mechanisms are disc ussed.