Electro-synthesis and Characterization of Polymer Nanostructures from Terthiophene Using Silica Mesoporous Films as Template

Nanostructures of poly(2,2':5',2"-terthiophene) have been synthesized using only electrochemical techniques. To this end, a porous silica film modified platinum disc was used as working electrode (Pt vertical bar(SiO2)(n)). The silica coating acts as a template so that the subsequent electro-polymerization occurs in their confined space pores, perpendicular to the electrodic surface. The current response of the obtained polymeric deposit is much greater than that exhibited by the solid massive polymer (generated under identical conditions but without template), accounting for the significant increase of the p-doping/undoping charge. Template removal was accomplished by treating the deposits with H F solutions. It was demonstrated that as the template is removed, the charge of the nanostructured electrodes increases even more. Electro-deposit characterization was supplemented using transmission electron microscopy, TEM, and FT-Raman spectroscopy, which revealed the obtaining of electrodes modified with polymeric nanostructures vertically aligned upon the electrode surface. Thus, a methodology employing solely electrochemical techniques that enables the obtainment of polymeric nanodeposits directly on the electrode surface was proposed. This approach allows foreseeing a significant progress in applications wherein these materials are useful, since this methodology, first tested for polythiophene, is applicable to various starting units capable of being electro-synthesized. (C) The Electrochemical Society of Japan, All rights reserved.