Suppression of corrosion study on polypyrrole/zinc oxide nanoparticle composites for rechargeable battery electrode materials

polypyrrole/zinc oxide nanoparticle (PPy/ZnO) composites are successfully synthesized via in-situ polymerization by aiding of ultrasonic irradiation. The different ratio of PPy to ammonium persulfate (APS) at 1:0.5, 1:1 and 1:1.5 is used to control the amounts of PPy in composites. Scanning Electron Microscopy indicates the development of nano/microstructure of PPy with increasing the amount of APS. The surface electrochemical activity of ZnO/PPy anodic electrode is characterized by linear polarization and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The introduce of PPy onto ZnO surface with the appropriate content and structure can improve the anti-corrosion and charge performance of electrode composites. The synthesized ZnO/PPy electrode at PPy/APS ratio of 1:1 can yield the highest values of corrosion inhibition efficiency of 73.50 % in 7 M KOH aqueous solution. (paper)