Deposition of polypyrrole membranes at air/water on microporous filtration interface

Microfiltration membranes were utilized as a template for the preparation of polypyrrole films at the air/water interface. Unlike the formation of polypyrrole tubules (or fibrils) when the membranes are soaked in polymerization media, chemical polymerization on the membrane at the interface resulted in the film formation on the membrane surface in contact with polymerization media, without remaining open micropores. Investigations of electrochemical responses with anthraquinone-2-sulfonate and Fe(CN)(6)(4-) on fully reduced or oxidized polypyrrole as well as studies of conductivity changes with polypyrrole deposition were carried out to confirm this behavior. Complete coverage of one side of a microfiltration membrane with a polypyrrole layer, remaining micropore walls, and the other side of a membrane intact, could be useful in various applications because it allows further electrochemical treatment/measurements utilizing these open micropores straightforward. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.