Iodine doping of poly(3-undecylbithiophene) and its composites with polystyrene using supercritical carbon dioxide

Partially doped conductive poly(3-undecylbithiophene) and its composites with porous, crosslinked polystyrene were chemically doped with iodine using supercritical carbon dioxide to transport iodine to the conductive regions of the composite. The amount of iodine incorporated into the composite increased from 9.3 wt % at ambient conditions without carbon dioxide to 21.4 wt % in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide. The conductivity of the composite increased by up to two orders of magnitude with iodine doping using supercritical carbon dioxide. The highest conductivity was obtained in samples treated at moderate temperatures and pressures (313 K and 20.7 MPa). (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.