Pulsed‐plasma‐polymerized aniline thin films

Abstract

An inductively coupled pulsed-plasma reactor was used to synthesize polyaniline thin films on several substrates positioned at various distances from the center of the radio frequency (RF) coil. The samples were characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), cyclic voltammetry, and microscopic techniques. Impedance spectroscopy was used to determine the electrical characteristics of three-layer structures with polyaniline as the middle layer between top and bottom metal electrodes. FTIR results indicated that the chemical composition and structure of the films were very dependent on the substrate's position with respect to the RF coil, there being considerably less aromatic character closer to the coil. The electrochemical behavior of the films in acidic electrolytes was similar to that of smallmolecule aniline oxidation products; the number of peaks in the cyclic voltammograms varied with the substrate. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that as the films became thicker, they developed nodules atop a somewhat smoother underlayer. Results from transmission electron microscopy and optical birefringence suggested that the films were not completely homogeneous. The impedance measurements were consistent with relatively rough films possibly containing pinholes.

Bimaterial Microcantilevers as a Hybrid Sensing Platform

“…This technique is a solventless (dry) process, resulting in organic films with high solvent, scratch, and corrosion resistance combined with excellent thermal and chemical stability. [152,153] The underlying mechanism of plasma polymerization involves in organic species undergoing fragmentation in plasma, resulting in excited sub-monomer species, free radicals, and ions that can react with each other in the plasma zone, or at the nascent surface layer (Fig. 10).…”

Film Chemistry Control and Growth Kinetics of Pulsed Plasma-Polymerized Aniline

“…Results show that only highly cross-linked polymer is obtained with some new chemical functions (oxygenated groups, aliphatic chains, nitrile group, isocyanate or diazonium salt). To our knowledge, only two papers deal with polyaniline synthesis using the pulsed plasma mode [34,35]. The first one presents a model to predict deposition rates of plasma-PANi films in a pulsed inductively-coupled plasma reactor [34], while the second one [35] studies the effect of the nature and position of the substrate in the plasma reactor on deposition kinetics and layer structure.…”

Characterization of conducting poly(3‐methylthiophene) films prepared under sono‐electrochemical conditions

“…Also, thin films of conducting polymeric materials were deposited on several substrates using an inductively coupled pulsed-plasma reactor. 8 The morphology and electrical properties of the resulting films were dependent on the positioning of the substrate inside the RF reactor.…”