Coating Polypyrrole-Silver Nanocomposites on Sulfonated-Polystyrene Microspheres by One-Step Method Using AgNO3 as an Oxidant

The sulfonated polystyrene (PS) microspheres were used as templates and AgNO3 was acted as the oxidant of pyrrole to prepare PS@polypyrrole(PPy)-silver nanocomposite microspheres by the one-step synthesis method. Ag+ ions adsorbed on the negatively charged sulfonated PS microspheres were reduced to elemental Ag, and PPy was obtained on the PS surfaces simultaneously, resulting in formation of PS core@PPy-silver composite shell microsphere. After removal of PS cores, uniform hollow PPy-silver composite microspheres were obtained. The thickness of the shell was controlled by varying the amounts of pyrrole monomers. The products were characterized in detail by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscope (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetty (TG).