Vertically aligned polypyrrole drawing a fingerprint array prepared by electrochemical polymerization in chiral nematic electrolyte

Electrochemical polymerization of pyrroles (Py) was carried out in N*-LC as an anisotropic reaction field to prepare polypyrrole (PPy) as means of producing higher order structure. The N*-LC mixture was sandwiched between indium tin oxide (ITO) glass electrodes, using a Teflon sheet as a spacer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the PPy film prepared in N*-LC reveal the fingerprint texture of the polymer, however the PPy film shows no birefringence. The PPy exhibited absorption peaks in the infrared absorption spectra (IR) similar to those of as-polymerized normal PPy prepared by electrochemical polymerization.