Fabrication and Properties of Conductive Chitosan/Polypyrrole Composite Fibers

Abstract

Conductive chitosan/polypyrrole composite fibers (CS-PPy) were fabricated through pyrrole polymerization on chitosan fibers by in situ oxidation, in which chitosan fibers were obtained by the wet spinning method. The structures, the morphologies and the electroactivities of CS-PPy were characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, the four-probe technique and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Results showed that the diameter, thermal stability and electrical conductivity of the fiber were affected by pyrrole polymerization times. Electrical conductivity values of CS-PPy were varied from 1.60 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.31 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹. CV of the conductive fibers presents an oxidation peak at 0.25 V in pH 7.0 PBS. Such biodegradable conductive fibers may provide new electrical stimulation materials in biomedical applications.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Chitosan
• Conductive fiber
• Cyclic voltammetry
• in situ oxidation
• Polypyrrole

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03602559.2014.935420.