Chemical Oxidative Synthesis of Polypyrrole Nanoparticles: Morphological and Structural Characterization by FESEM, and FTIR Spectroscopy

Abstract

Polypyrrole (PPy) is a synthetic conducting polymer with promising electrical, environmental, and technological properties. In this study, PPy nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization using FeCl₃/PVP and HNO₃, while ZnO and Cu₂O nanoparticles were incorporated at 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 wt%. The structural and morphological properties were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results showed that both the oxidation method and additive concentration significantly affected the morphology of the PPy nano composites. Lower concentrations promoted a more uniform nanoparticle distribution, whereas higher concentrations resulted in agglomeration and irregular clusters. FTIR confirmed the characteristic chemical structure of PPy and the successful incorporation of ZnO and Cu₂O through the corresponding metal–oxygen vibrational bands. These findings demonstrate that controlling the synthesis route and nanoparticle concentration is an effective strategy for tailoring PPy-based nanocomposites for potential electronic, sensing, optoelectronic, and thermoelectric applications.