The correlation of chemical structure and electrical conductivity in polypyrrole films by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to track chemical structure changes in conducting polypyrrole films which were electrochemically grown at various current densities. The film structures were correlated to changes in the film electrical conductivities. High resolution spectra of the C 1s, N 1s and O 1s regions were recorded. Concentrations of the charge compensating counter‐ions used in the growth of the film were also monitored and correlated to electrical performance. Results indicated that the films grown at low current densities contained hydroxide anions and deprotonated nitrogen species, while films grown at high current densities contained no hydroxide ions or deprotonated nitrogens and exhibited higher charge removal from the pyrrole ring. At medium current densities, the amount of incorporated dopant anion was maximized.