Conducting polymer/carbon nanotube composite films made by in situ electropolymerization using an ionic surfactant as the supporting electrolyte

We have demonstrated a simple and general strategy, namely in situ electropolymerization by using an ionic surfactant as the electrolyte, for alignment of disordered CNTs within conducting polymer/carbon nanotube composite films. The single- or multi-walled CNTs were first dispersed in an aqueous solution containing SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate), then electroactive monomer pyrrole or N-methylpyrrole was added into the above mixture, finally electrochemical reaction was proceeded at the surface of the Au electrode and correspondingly a series of conducting polymer/carbon nanotube composite films with the orientation of carbon nanotubes were obtained.