Fuente: Polymers Polymers, Vol. 18, Pages 779: Flexible Polypyrrole-Based Composite Films with Tailored Electrical and Mechanical Properties for Electrocardiographic Sensing
Polymers doi: 10.3390/polym18060779
Authors:
Alin-Alexandru Andrei
Izabell Craciunescu
Lucian Barbu Tudoran
Rodica Paula Turcu
George Marian Ispas
Gavril-Ionel Giurgi
Alexandru Oprea
Mioara Zagrai
Cristian Sevcencu

Flexible electrode materials with tailored electrical and mechanical properties are essential for reliable electrocardiographic (ECG) sensing. In this work, p-toluenesulfonic-acid-doped polypyrrole (PPy–TSA) films were modified using polymeric and inorganic fillers, as well as their combinations (polyethylene glycol, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and zeolite), to tune their functional performance. The reference PPy–TSA film exhibits typical morphological and chemical characteristics of doped polypyrrole and serves as a reliable baseline for comparison. All composite films retain electrical conductivity within the range required for ECG applications while showing improved mechanical compliance (i.e., enhanced ability to conform to the skin and sustain deformation). Based on the optimized balance between electrical and mechanical properties, flexible ECG electrodes were fabricated using the TSA-doped PPy-based composite film. ECG recordings obtained with the several proposed electrodes show good agreement with those acquired using a commercial ECG electrode, demonstrating the potential of PPy-based composite films for flexible bioelectronic sensing applications.