The polymerization and electrochemical characterization of polypyrrole and polypyrrole/poly(ethylene oxide)pyrrole copolymers

The work contained within this document discusses the polymerization and subsequent characterization of Polypyrrole based electrodes for lithium batteries. Polypyrrole and Polypyrrole/polyethyloxy copolymers were compared and contrasted in an attempt to show the superior kinetics of the copolymer electrode. It was found that the diffusion of dopant ions across the electrode and electrolyte interface was increased by on order of magnitude in the copolymer sample. It was also found that the reversibility of the Polypyrrole electrode was greater than that of the copolymer electrode. While the diffusion coefficient of the copolymer electrode was altered to be comparable to that of the transition metal oxide cathodes in production today, the capacity of the copolymer material is still too low to be considered as an alternative cathode material in the lithium battery industry.