Novel route to pure and composite fibers of polypyrrole

An organic salt (FeAOT) is synthesized by the reaction of sodium 1,4‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) and ferric chloride. It is fabricated into fibers by manual drawing and electrospinning. Long polypyrrole (PPy) fibers are obtained for the first time by a vapor deposition reaction of pyrrole on the FeAOT fibers, and this technique is extended to the synthesis of PPy composite fibers with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PPy–MWCNT fibers). The PPy and PPy–MWCNT fibers have a nanoporous morphology, a conductivity of 10–15 S cm^?1, and a tensile strength of 12–43 MPa. The electrochemistry and current–voltage characteristics of the PPy fibers are also studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1490–1494, 2007