Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of molybdenum oxide/polypyrrole hybrids

Monolithic Mo oxide/polypyrrole hybrid aerogels and xerogels were successfully synthesized through sol-gel methods. The PPy formed appears to be beta-substituted. A 100 fold increase in electrical conductivity was observed for the hybrids (4x10(-3) S/cm) as compared to the pristine MoO3 gels (2x10(-5) S/cm). An initial increase in Li+ intercalation capacity is also observed for the hybrid. The electrical conductivity and Li+ intercalation depend greatly on the concentration of Motrichloro alkoxide precursor and sol aging conditions. The hybrid aerogels have a density of 0.5 g/cc and a surface area of 120 m(2)/g. The as-formed gels are amorphous and crystallize to the orthorhombic MoO3 phase at 375 degrees C.