ELECTROCONDUCTIVITY AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF HYBRIDIZED PPy/rGO COMPOSITES

Abstract

Polypyrrole (PPy) was synthesized via microemulsion method from its pyrrole (Py) monomer, while reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was produced by using modified Hummer’s method from graphite powder. Polypyrrole (PPy) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites (PPy/rGO) has been harvested by ultrasonication method with various combination weight feeding ratio of pyrrole to the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) varied as 4:1 , 3:1 , 2:1 , and 1:1, and the resulting composites were designated as PPy/rGO 4:1, PPy/rGO 3:1, PPy/rGO 2:1, and PPy/rGO 1:1 respectively. The prepared composites have been successfully characterized in terms of the composition, morphological and electrochemical properties. The obtained powder composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and electrical conductivity (four-point probes). The hybridized composites were synthesized using ultrasonication, filtration, drying process and dispersion before they were being dropped for fabrication onto glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the cyclic voltammetry (CV) characterization at 100mVs-1. The conductivity of Ppy/rGO composites obtained from four-point probes for PPy/rGO (4:1), PPy/rGO (3:1), PPy/rGO (2:1) and PPy/rGO (1:1) was 1.190Ω-1cm-1, 1.522Ω-1cm-1, 1.980Ω-1cm-1 and 2.504Ω-1cm-1 respectively, where it shows good conductivity properties. The characterization results revealed that the structure of the composite is well developed and the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) embedded with Polypyrrole (Ppy), where it forms a good network structure in the composites. The results obtained promise great applications in high conductivity modified electrode.