Two‐step synthesis of superabsorbent conducting hydrogel based on poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) with interpenetrating network structure

Poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) conducting polymer was prepared by a two‐step aqueous polymerisation. First, the polyacrymide superabsorbent polymer was synthesised by a routine aqueous polymerisation. Second, pyrrole monomers were absorbed inside the polyacrylamide network and followed by a polymerisation to form a poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) polymer. An interpenetrating network structure model with a three‐dimensional network of polyacrylamide and a one‐dimensional chain of polypyrrole for poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) conducting hydrogel was proposed. The conductivity of the hydrogel depends on the polypyrrole conjugated chains. After preparation conditions were optimised, the hydrogel possessed a conductivity of 21·33 mS cm−1.