Synthesis of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-Platinum and Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-Poly(styrenesulfonate) Hybrid Fibers by Alternating Current Bipolar Electropolymerization.

Alternating current (ac) bipolar electropolymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was performed in the presence of hexachloroplatinate ([PtCl]) or poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS). We demonstrated that both [PtCl] and PSS were successfully incorporated into electrogenerated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as dopants to offer hybrid fibers composed of (i) PEDOT and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) (PEDOT-Pt hybrid fibers) and (ii) PEDOT and PSS (PEDOT-PSS hybrid fibers), respectively, in one step, grown from the very edges of Au wires used as bipolar electrodes (BPEs).

In-Plane Growth of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Films on a Substrate Surface by Bipolar Electropolymerization.

Alternating current (AC) bipolar electropolymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) using a gold (Au) wire as a bipolar electrode (BPE) on a substrate surface resulted in gradual growth of the corresponding poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) thin film from the terminals of the Au wire on the substrate. Studies to clarify the polymerization behavior were conducted under various electrolytic conditions, including monomer concentration, applied frequency, monomer structure, and substrate material. This method could be used to draw conducting polymer films on a nonconductive substrate, guided by an applied external electric field, and thus has potential for circuit patterning in organic electronic devices.