One-pot synthesis of silver nanowires/polypyrrole nanocomposites

One-dimensional metal/polymer nanocomposites, such as nanocables, have potential applications in portable, compressive and flexible devices, like sensors, supercapacitors and bendable touchscreens. In this work, a one-pot method was developed to synthesize silver nanowires (AgNWs) capped with polypyrrole (PPy), in aqueous media and at room temperature, by the redox reaction between silver nitrate and pyrrole, in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone. Scanning electron microscopy images show that, initially, there is the formation of small hexagonal silver crystals, which, depending on the reaction parameters, can evolve to Ag/PPy nanocables or give rise to a series of different nanostructures capped with PPy. For comparison, a second one-pot process was elaborated using the polyol method to produce first AgNWs, which were then coated with PPy in a second step. By this second method, higher aspect ratios and reaction yields were obtained. Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies confirm the formation of doped (conductive) PPy by both one-pot strategies. Cyclic voltammetry indicate that the AgNWs were successfully capped with PPy.