A study on polypyrrole-coated polystyrene sulfonic acid microspheres - a proton electrolyte

A polypyrrole (PPy) layer is deposited on the surface of microspheres ((d) over bar = 0.5 mum) of polystyrene sulfonic acid resin. Both DC and AC meas urements were employed to assess the electrical property of the resulting p owder consisting of PPy-coated microspheres. The PPy coating has been obser ved to play a role in enhancing the proton conductivity and in reducing the capacitative reactance when its content is below 2 wt.%. The magnitude of the enhancing effect depends on the way by which the PPy is introduced as w ell as the doped state of the PPy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd All rights reserved.