Characterization of polypyrrole degradation by the conformational relaxation model

• Published in: Electrochimica acta Vol. 51; no. 28; pp. 6238 - 6242
• Main Authors: Otero, T.F., Boyano, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15.09.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemistry; Conducting polymer; Degradation; Electrical, magnetic and optical properties; Electrochemistry; ESCR model; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polypyrrole; Properties and characterization; Degradation; Conducting polymer; ESCR model; Polypyrrole; Polarization; Organic carbonate; Electrical properties; Transition metal; Conformational changes; Modeling; Characterization; Electrodes; Conducting polymers; Lithium perchlorates; Platinum; Models; Electrochemically stimulated conformational relaxation; Pyrrole polymer
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2006.04.005

Electrogenerated films of polypyrrole were degraded (overoxidized) by consecutive short anodic polarizations at 900 mV. The degree of degradation was quantified by means of the percentage of anodic voltammetric charge lost after each consecutive degradation processes. The charge consumed to compact 1 mol of polymeric segments (molar compaction charge) was obtained for every degraded state from experimental series of chronoamperograms, as indicated by the electrochemically stimulated conformational relaxation model. The molar magnitude decreases linearly with the change on the degradation percentage indicating the presence of shorter ideal lineal chains on a progressively degraded polymer. The correlation between these magnitudes opens the way to attain new molecular magnitudes of the polymeric chains by electrochemical measurements, as predicted by the model.