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SYNOPSISPolypyrrole (PPY) films having high conductivity were synthesized electrochemically in acetonitrile at low temperature and low current density. Pristine, deprotonated, and ozonepretreated PPY films were subjected to either thermally induced or near-UV-light-induced graft copolymerization with acrylic acid (AAc), or sodium salt of 4-styrenesulfonic acid (NaSS). Surface structures and redox states of the pristine, deprotonated, reprotonated, and surface-modified polypyrrole films were studied by angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The morphology of the PPY surface after modification by graft copolymerization was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that the density of surface grafting decreased with ozone pretreatment. Surface grafting of the two polymeric acids also gave rise to a self-protonated surface structure. A substantial proportion of the grafted protonic acid groups at the surface remained free for further surface functionalization. The surface characteristics, in particular the charge-transfer interactions and the changes in the intrinsic redox states of the substrate films, associated with the external protonation and surface self-protonation processes were also discussed.

A new vision of carbon electronics is provided by the discovery reported here of carbon nanotube RLC (resistance–inductance–capacitance) circuits on nickel‐sensitized alumina. When carbon nanotubes are deposited on an alumina surface by chemical vapor deposition from hydrocarbons, the electronic character of the nanotube/substrate combination depends on the preparation conditions. With development, this should allow RLC carbon nanotube microcircuits to be designed and deposited on substrates, perhaps even overcoming the difficulty of producing inductors in integrated circuits.