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Electrocontrolled Swelling and Water Uptake of a Three‐Dimensional Conducting Polypyrrole Hydrogel
Author(s) -
Antonio Jadielson L.,
Höfler Lajos,
Lindfors Tom,
Córdoba de Torresi Susana I.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201600397
Subject(s) - polypyrrole , quartz crystal microbalance , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , swelling , attenuated total reflection , self healing hydrogels , solvent , materials science , spectroscopy , chemical engineering , chemistry , polyelectrolyte , polymer , electrochemistry , diffusion , analytical chemistry (journal) , polymer chemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , composite material , thermodynamics , adsorption , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Polypyrrole 3D hydrosponges of tubular structure were synthesized and electrochemically characterized. The Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FTIR‐ATR) spectroscopy technique was employed to study the water uptake of the hydrosponges under different conditions. This technique presents several advantages over conventional swelling measurements due to its specificity that allows analyzing the kinetics of water uptake at the molecular level. In combination with mathematical modeling, FTIR‐ATR spectroscopy also enables the calculation of the water diffusion coefficients in the hydrogels. The experimental setup also allows electroswelling of the hydrosponges to be studied. The results presented herein are complementary to those obtained with the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (EQCM‐D) technique and make it possible to determine the actual role played by water in the ionic exchange occurring in conducting polymers during their redox processes. Whereas EQCM‐D shows the whole mass change in the film provoked by injection/ejection of ions and solvent molecules, FTIR‐ATR spectroscopy follows water flux only, which thus allows separation of the solvent contribution.