Polymerization of polypyrrole on single crystal platinum electrodes: a surface structure sensitive reaction

This communication shows experimental results that clearly demonstrated the influence of the crystalline surface structure of the platinum electrode on the early stages of the electropolymerization of pyrrole in aqueous media. The platinum surface structure determines adhesion, coverage level, charge transfer properties as well as bulk properties of the synthesized film like morphology and the ion exchange kinetics during its reduction and oxidation. It is proven that the Pt(110) an Pt(111) surfaces are more suitable for obtain polypyrrole films with higher conductivity and charge-storage capacity than the Pt(100) surface.