Preparation and characterization of PPy with methyl orange as soft template

PPy nanotubes were succesfully synthsized in neutral MO aqueous solutions by in situ polymerization using FeCl3 or APS as oxidant respectively. These nanotubes were characterized with SEM, TEM, FTIR XRD and EDS and results showed MO molecules entered into the PPy chain as dopant. The good conducting characteristic may be related to the higher doping level of the MO and conductivity of the PPy nanotubes was up to 29.07 S·cm−1. The shape of the obtained PPy would be changed slightly and its solubility was greatly improved because of the addition of HCl in neutral MO aqueous solutions.