Modification des polymères conducteurs avec de petites particules métalliques; propriétés des films de polypyrrole et de polyaniline platines

The properties of two π-conjugated conducting polymers, polypyrrole, and polyaniline, modified with small amounts of Pt, have been investigated. Both polymers were prepared by electrochemical (cyclic voltammetric) polymerization in the form of thin films (less than 1 μm for polypyrrole, ca. 50-μm thick for polyaniline). It is shown that incorporation, via electrodeposition, of small amount of dispersed Pt particles, inside the polymer film, leads to radical change of its properties. Thus, the polypyrrole film electrode containing ca. 200 μg · cm-2 of Pt exhibits remarkably stable electrocatalytic activity towards anodic oxidation of an important fuel cell reactant – CH3OH. In contrast with the bulk Pt metal or the Pt dispersed on other supports, a polypyrrole/Pt composite does apparently not undergo poisoning, even in the course of prolonged oxidation runs. We show also that the incorporation of Pt microparticles, into several tens of μm thick polyniline films, results in a large enhancement of their redox switching rate between isolating and conducting states and vice versa