Quartz crystal microbalance studies of the effect of solution temperature on the ion-exchange properties of polypyrrole conducting electroactive polymers

Conducting polymer functionalization in search of advanced materials in ionometry: ion-selective electrodes and optodes

Functionalized conducting polymers (FCPs) have recently garnered attention as ion-selective sensor materials, surpassing their intrinsic counterparts due to synergistic effects that lead to enhanced electrochemical and analytical parameters. Following a brief introduction of the fundamental concepts, this article provides a comprehensive review of the recent developments in the application of FCPs in ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) and ion-selective optodes (ISOs), particularly as ion-to-electron transducers, optical transducers, and ion-selective membranes. Utilizing FCPs in these devices offers a promising avenue for detecting and measuring ions in various applications, regardless of the sample nature and composition. Research has focused on functionalizing different conducting polymers, such as polyaniline and polypyrrole, through strategies such as doping and derivatization to alter their hydrophobicity, conductance, redox capacitance, surface area, pH sensitivity, gas and light sensitivity, etc. These modifications aim to enhance performance outcomes, including potential stability/emission signal stability, reproducibility and low detection limits. The advancements have led to the transition of ISEs from conventional zero-current potentiometric ion sensing to innovative current-triggered sensing approaches, enabling calibration-free applications and emerging concepts such as opto-electro dual sensing systems. The intrinsic pH cross-response and instability of the optical signal of ISOs have been overcome through the novel optical signal transduction mechanisms facilitated by FCPs. In this review, the characteristics of materials, functionalization approaches, particular implementation strategies, specific performance outcomes and challenges faced are discussed. Consolidating dispersed information in the field, the in-depth analysis presented here is poised to drive further innovations by broadening the scope of ion-selective sensors in real-world scenarios.

Reversible Electronic Solid-Gel Switching of a Conjugated Polymer

Conjugated polymers exhibit electrically driven volume changes when included in electrochemical devices via the exchange of ions and solvent. So far, this volumetric change is limited to 40% and 100% for reversible and irreversible systems, respectively, thus restricting potential applications of this technology. A conjugated polymer that reversibly expands by about 300% upon addressing, relative to its previous contracted state, while the first irreversible actuation can achieve values ranging from 1000-10 000%, depending on the voltage applied is reported. From experimental and theoretical studies, it is found that this large and reversible volumetric switching is due to reorganization of the polymer during swelling as it transforms between a solid-state phase and a gel, while maintaining percolation for conductivity. The polymer is utilized as an electroactive cladding to reduce the void sizes of a porous carbon filter electrode by 85%.

Comparative Analysis of Fluorinated Anions for Polypyrrole Linear Actuator Electrolytes

Either as salts or room temperature ionic liquids, fluorinated anion-based electrolytes have been a common choice for ionic electroactive polymer actuators, both linear and bending. In the present work, propylene carbonate solutions of four electrolytes of the three hugely popular anions-triflouromethanesulfonate, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide, and hexafluorophosphate were compared and evaluated in polypyrrole linear actuators. The actuation direction, the characteristics-performance relations influence the behavior of the actuators. Isotonic Electro-chemo-mechanical deformation (ECMD) measurements were performed to study the response of the PPy/DBS samples. The highest strain for pristine PPy/DBS linear actuators was found in range of 21% for LiTFSI, while TBAPF6 had the least cation involvement, suggesting the potential for application in durable and controllable actuators. Interesting cation effects on the actuation of the same anions (CF3SO3-) were also observed.

Application of chemically synthesized polypyrrole with hydro-sponge characteristic as electrode in water desalination

The bulk polypyrrole samples with excellent sponge property were prepared by chemical approach and performed wonderful desalination effect when they were processed into electrodes and applied to remove sodium ions by the electrochemical approach.

Conducting polypyrrole films as a potential tool for electrochemical treatment of azo dyes in textile wastewaters

In this paper, we demonstrate conducting polypyrrole films as a potential green technology for electrochemical treatment of azo dyes in wastewaters using Acid Red 1 as a model analyte. These films were synthesised by anodically polymerising pyrrole in the presence of Acid Red 1 as a supporting electrolyte. In this way, the anionic Acid Red 1 is electrostatically attracted to the cationic polypyrrole backbone formed to maintain electroneutrality, and is thus entrapped in the film. These Acid Red 1-entrapped polypyrrole films were characterised by electrochemical, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Based on a two-level factorial design, the solution pH, Acid Red 1 concentration and polymerisation duration were identified as significant parameters affecting the entrapment efficiency. The entrapment process will potentially aid in decolourising Acid Red 1-containing wastewaters. Similarly, in a cathodic process, electrons are supplied to neutralise the polypyrrole backbone, liberating Acid Red 1 into a solution. In this work, following an entrapment duration of 480 min in 2000 mg L(-1) Acid Red 1, we estimated 21% of the dye was liberated after a reduction period of 240 min. This allows the recovery of Acid Red 1 for recycling purposes. A distinctive advantage of this electrochemical Acid Red 1 treatment, compared to many other techniques, is that no known toxic by-products are generated in the treatment. Therefore, conducting polypyrrole films can potentially be applied as an environmentally friendly treatment method for textile effluents.

Promoting neurite outgrowth from spiral ganglion neuron explants using polypyrrole/BDNF-coated electrodes

Release of neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from hair cells in the cochlea is essential for the survival of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Loss of hair cells associated with a sensorineural hearing loss therefore results in degeneration of SGNs, potentially reducing the performance of a cochlear implant. Exogenous replacement of either or both neurotrophins protects SGNs from degeneration after deafness. We previously incorporated NT3 into the conducting polymer polypyrrole (Ppy) synthesized with para-toluene sulfonate (pTS) to investigate whether Ppy/pTS/NT3-coated cochlear implant electrodes could provide both neurotrophic support and electrical stimulation for SGNs. Enhanced and controlled release of NT3 was achieved when Ppy/pTS/NT3-coated electrodes were subjected to electrical stimulation. Here we describe the release dynamics and biological properties of Ppy/pTS with incorporated BDNF. Release studies demonstrated slow passive diffusion of BDNF from Ppy/pTS/BDNF, with electrical stimulation significantly enhancing BDNF release over 7 days. A 3-day SGN explant assay found that neurite outgrowth from explants was 12.3-fold greater when polymers contained BDNF (p < 0.001), although electrical stimulation did not increase neurite outgrowth further. The versatility of Ppy to store and release neurotrophins, conduct electrical charge, and act as a substrate for nerve-electrode interactions is discussed for specialized applications such as cochlear implants.

Thermo-mechanical characterization of polypyrrole compliance using stochastic system identification

Conducting polymers such as polypyrrole are studied as novel biologically inspired actuators. Their capacity to generate stresses of up to 5 MPa, strains of up to 10% at low voltages (2 V) make them ideal candidates to be used as artificial muscle materials. It has been shown that the modulus of polypyrrole can change when the material is electrochemically excited. In this paper we develop a technique that uses a stochastic stress input that can be used to measure the compliance frequency response (between 10(-2) Hz and 100 Hz) of polypyrrole in-situ. We validate the compliance calculated from the stochastic stress input by comparing it with the compliance calculated from a single sinusoidal stress input. We also measure the compliance as a function of temperature using both techniques and show that the stochastic compliance follows the same trends as the compliance calculated from single sinusoidal stress input.

Characterization of an ion-selective polypyrrole coating and application to the joint determination of potassium, sodium and ammonium by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and partial least squares method

A stable immobilization of ionophores (INPHs) was achieved by selectively electropolymerizing overoxidized pyrrol on the working electrode surface. The optimal conditions found allowed the immobilization of a huge amount of INPH which remained its recognition properties. A single sensing chip, containing a generic INPH or an INPH mixture, was employed to the joint quantification of potassium, ammonium and sodium in fertilizer samples. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and partial least square (PLS) regression were used to obtain and process the data, respectively. The sensing element (INPH) and the exposure time were optimized. The best results were obtained by using the dibenzo-18-crown-6 INPH after waiting for 60s, the time required to stabilize the impedimetric measurement. Taking into account that a single chip was employed, acceptable relative errors were obtained in the determination of potassium and ammonium (17% and 9%, respectively) in real fertilizer samples, also containing sodium. Although sodium concentration could not be estimated with precision, it had to be introduced into the calibration set data in order to model its interference with the other two ions.

Polypyrrole modified stainless steel frits for on-line micro solid phase extraction of ochratoxin A

Polypyrrole (PPy) was electrochemically synthesized on stainless steel frits as a sorbent for the micro solid phase extraction (muSPE) of ochratoxin A (OTA). Using 20 microl of standard solution under a fast flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, 80% recovery of OTA was achieved in the concentration range from 0.1-10 pg/mul. This good recovery was achieved within a short residence time of 1.2 s. A binding capacity of 1 ng OTA was estimated for each PPy-modified frit, or 2 ng OTA for two frits in series. The bound OTA could be pulsed eluted (PE) with 20 microl of 1% triethylamine in acetonitrile. On-line coupling of this PPy-on-a-frit and PE technique to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was straightforward. On-line muSPE-PE-HPLC results clearly demonstrated the capability of PPy-on-a-frit to bind OTA in the presence of red wine, beer, and orange juice components.