Facile grafting-onto-preparation of block copolymers of TEMPO and glycidyl methacrylates on an oxide substrate as an electrode-active layer

Abstract

Block copolymers of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization. The block copolymer was immobilized on an indium-doped tin oxide substrate by simply coating the copolymer solution and annealing. The copolymer layers were efficiently converted to those of the corresponding 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxy (TEMPO) polymer. The TEMPO layers were swelled with but not eluted into common electrolyte solutions such as acetonitrile and ethylene carbonate, and showed excellent electrochemically reversible redox cycling at 0.81 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The layer with the thickness of micron meters exhibited both a sufficient charge diffusivity (10−10 cm2 s−1) and a very large storage capacity (beyond 120 mC cm−2), which was applicable to a cathode of organic-based rechargeable devices.