Electroconductive and catalytic performance of polypyrrole/montmorillonite/silver composites synthesized through in situ oxidative polymerization

The present study demonstrates a simple approach to the formation of polypyrrole/montmorillonite/silver (PPy/Mt/Ag) composites via in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole (Py) in the presence of AgNO3 acting as a direct oxidant. The polymerization was performed in the presence of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, which acts as a stabilizing and doping agent. The morphological, structural, and thermal properties of PPy/Mt/Ag composites are discussed in detail and a possible formation mechanism is proposed. The electrical conductivities of the composites pressed at different pressing pressures were investigated using four-probe analyzer. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy results indicated the partially exfoliated structure of the composites and Fourier transforms infrared results suggested the strong interactions between SiOSi groups in Mt and NH groups in PPy chains. The addition of Mt in the PPy polymer enhanced thermal property of the polymer. The conductivity of 1.08 S cm−1 was observed in the sample with 20 wt % Mt loading and applied pressure of 5 MPa. The composites obtained in the present study catalyze the reduction of methylene blue by sodium borohydride, achieving 92% conversion of MB to colorless within a few minutes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 135, 45986.