Screening conditions for rationally engineered electrodeposition of nanostructures (SCREEN): electrodeposition and applications of polypyrrole nanofibers using microfluidic gradients.

A rapid screening method for optimizing electrochemical deposition conditions of polypyrrole (PPy) nanostructures is reported. An electrochemical cell is integrated within a low-cost microfluidic system, in which electrochemical deposition is carried out across a linear concentration gradient of a reaction parameter. The protocol, refered to as the screening of conditions for rationally engineered electrodeposition of nanostructures (SCREEN), allows rapid screening of conditions for the production of specific morphologies by characterizing the electrodeposited samples produced within a chemical gradient. To demonstrate the utility of the SCREEN method, applications in tunable optical coatings and superhydrophobic surfaces are presented.