Polypyrrole micro/nanostructures and their soft materials in versatile forms: construction and applications

With the increasing research interest in the fields of advanced materials, energy conservation and environmental protection, polypyrrole (PPy), a widely studied conducting polymer, has shown great promise in a lot of applications. The synthetic conditions and morphology control of PPy simultaneously affect its conductivity and processability and eventually determine the application behaviour. This review goes through the preparation of PPy nanostructures, which have been popular in the last two decades, and PPy-based soft materials, which have been of great concern in recent years. The key issues for controlling PPy morphology, increasing conductivity, and improving processability are discussed. Aiming at application in flexible electronics, energy storage, solar energy utilization and contamination separation, a brief but comprehensive summary of the construction of PPy-based soft materials and their performance is presented. With this content, this review will provide a systematic development of PPy in an easily handled state and therefore expand its use in newly emerging application fields. Key issues regarding the syntheses of polypyrrole nanomaterials and their recent application were discussed. Polypyrrole derived dispersions, hydrogels, membranes and composites were outlined by considering improved conductivity and processability.