Grafting polythiophene on polyethylene surfaces

Abstract

Polythiophene (PT) was grafted on PE film using three reaction steps. First, PE films were brominated in the gas phase, yielding PE–Br; second, a substitution reaction of PE–Br with 2‐thiophene thiolate anion gave the thiophene‐functionalized PE; finally PT was grafted on the PE surface using chemical oxidative polymerization to give PE–PT. The polymerization was carried out in a suspension solution of anhydrous FeCl3 in CHCl3, yielding a reddish PE–PT film after dedoping with ethanol. ATR‐FTIR shows that the PT was grafted on PE in the 2,5‐position. SEM imaging revealed islands of PT on the PE film. AFM analysis found the thickness of islands to be in the range of 120–145 nm. The conductivity of these thin films was in the range of 10−6 S cm−1, a significant increase from the value of ∼10−14 S cm−1 measured for PE film.© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry

Conductive polythiophene-based brushes grafted from an ITO surface via a self-templating approach

“…New bands at about 1520-1560 cm −1 and 1656-1680 cm −1 (CvC asymmetric stretching vibrations in the polythiophene chain) appeared (Fig. 44,45 Moreover, as presented by Hintz et al 46 polythiophene also undergoes spontaneous oxidation in the presence of oxygen and light. All these changes fully confirm the formation of conjugated polythiophene chains and are very well described in the literature for different polythiophene-based polymers.…”

Preparation, characterization, and properties of modified barium sulfate nanoparticles/polyethylene nanocomposites as T‐shaped copper intrauterine devices

“…Thus, the scaffold materials (PE composites) are required to be opaque to X‐rays so that the position of the Cu‐IUD can be determined by X‐ray imaging. Because polymers are transparent to X‐rays, rigid X‐ray‐opaque inorganic particles are often used in polymers as reinforcement elements and media for developing X‐ray images. BaSO 4 ‐NPs have excellent acid and alkali resistance, as well as a strong toughening effect on low density PE, and are therefore a good reinforcement addition to polymers.…”

Chemically robust conjugated polymer platform for thin-film sensors

“…Table 2 shows how polymerization solvent, oxidant to monomer ratio and polymerization time affect the thickness and morphology of the resulting film. Choice of polymerization solvent has the most impact because weak solvation interactions between chloroform and ferric chloride leave more active oxidant than in acetonitrile [15]. Thus polymer films are thicker and rougher compared to those grown in acetonitrile.…”

“…Polythiophene (PT) is an environmentally stable conducting polymer that is polymerized using well known oxidative techniques [14]. Previously, polythiophenes have been chemically grafted to non-metallic surfaces such as polyethylene [15] and silicon [16]. We have developed a method using silane-based surface chemistry in which thiophene monomers are covalently attached to silicon, glass, and quartz, and then directly polymerized to the surface.…”