A reactive wet spinning approach to polypyrrole fibres

Electrically conducting, robust fibres comprised of both an alginate (Alg) biopolymer and a polypyrrole (PPy) component have been produced using reactive wet-spinning. Using this approach polypyrrole–biopolymer fibres were also produced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), added to provide additional strength and conductivity. SEM images of the PPy–Alg composite fibres clearly show the tubular multifilament form of the alginate fibre impregnated with PPy nanoparticles. The fibres produced containing CNTs show a 78% increase in ultimate stress and 25% increase in elongation to break compared to PPy–alginate fibre. Young's modulus obtained for the PPy–Alg–CNT fibres showed a 30% increase compared to the PPy–alginate fibre. The fibres produced were electrochemically active and capable of electromechanical actuation with a strain of 0.7% produced at a scan rate of 100 mV s−1 of the potential.