Unsubstituted Polythiophene Film Deposited via In-Situ Sequential Solution Polymerization for Chemo-/Electrochromism

Abstract

Polythiophene (PTh) is an important conjugated polymer for its simple structure, high stability, and various optoelectronic properties. However, due to the high oxidation potential, it is challenging for the unsubstituted thiophene to be polymerized and deposited onto insulating substrates in large area.Here, a modified sequential solution polymerization (SSP) method is demonstrated to be applicable for the in-situ preparation of large-area PTh film on either glass or flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Both FTIR and Raman spectra suggest that the thiophene units in SSP PTh are mainly linked by C α −C α coupling without overoxidation, providing tight intermolecular π−π stacking in the solid state. Besides, the PTh film shows blue/red color when in doped/neutral state, which can be manipulated either chemically or electrochemically, thus having great potential in reversible chemochromism, electrochromism, or sensor applications.

Nanocomposites of Fe(II)-Based Metallo-Supramolecular Polymer and a Layered Inorganic–Organic Hybrid for Improved Electrochromic Materials

“…Electrochromic (EC) materials have received considerable attention as an important material used in electrochemical glass tinting, i.e., smart windows and antiglare rearview mirrors in cars [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. Many types of EC materials have been reported and are often categorized as follows.…”

“…Many types of EC materials have been reported and are often categorized as follows. Metal oxides, such as tungsten oxide, are the first generation of EC materials; transition metal complexes, such as Prussian blue, are the second generation of EC materials; and organic molecules and π-conjugated polymers are the third generation of EC materials [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Recently, metallo-supramolecular polymers (MSPs), composed of metal ions with multi-topic organic ligands, such as bis-terpyridine, were reported as the fourth generation of EC materials [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Multi-solvent large stopband monitoring based on the insolubility/superoleophilicity of PEDOT inverse opals

“…4c and S18 † ). 56 Based on the above experimental data, Fig. 4d–h present a mechanistic explanation of the stopband shift of PEDOT-IO film.…”

“…4a ), originating from the oxygen atom (O1s) in the PEDOT chain (533 eV) and the counter anion (TsO − ) (531 eV) respectively. 56 The sodium atom (Na1s) at 1071 eV comes from a small amount of electrolyte salt (TsONa) mixed in the PEDOT-IO film during the electro-polymerization process ( Fig. 4b ).…”

E-Tongues/Noses Based on Conducting Polymers and Composite Materials: Expanding the Possibilities in Complex Analytical Sensing

“…In this sense, electrochemical sensors [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], gas sensing devices [ 4 ], and optical sensors [ 5 , 6 ] have been proposed as providing good analytical features in terms of figures of merit (e.g., sensitivity, limits of detection and quantitation, repeatability, reproducibility, linear range, and robustness). In addition, the modulation of instrumental conditions during the electrodeposition process [ 7 ], spin coating [ 8 ], or sequential solution polymerization technique [ 9 , 10 ] allows precise control over the thickness and morphology of the resulting conducting coating. This advantage is particularly important in the development of electrochemical and gas sensors [ 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”