Electrical properties of polypyrrole wires measured by scanning probe microscope

Hybrid wires composed of metal and conducting polymer (polypyrrole, Ppy) were electrochemically synthesized using a template synthesis method. We showed that the dimensions of the hybrid wires can be tailored by controlling the time of electrolysis. The electrical properties of Ppy having different lengths were measured using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip as an electrode without aligning the hybrid wires on a substrate. Especially, temperature-dependent characteristics of the I-V curve were determined. As we expected, the shorter the Ppy wire is, the better the current response produced. The activation energy of each Ppy wire is determined. It is confirmed that the electrical properties of a single wire of Ppy can be measured by SPM.