Formation of Nanofibers with High Water Adhesion by Electrodeposition of Films of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole) and Poly(3,4-propylenedioxypyrrole) Substituted by Alkyl Chains.

Abstract

With the aim of controlling the surface hydrophobicity and water adhesion, nanofibrous surfaces were prepared by electropolymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole (EDOP) and 3,4-propylenedioxypyrrole (ProDOP) derivatives having various alkyl chains (C3 to C17 ) grafted to a 3,4-alkylenedioxy bridge. Depending on whether an EDOP or a ProDOP was used, and the length of the alkyl chain, the surface properties of the resulting polymer were very different. The formation of nanofibrous surfaces was much more favored for ProDOP derivatives. The alkyl chain length has also a huge influence on the formation of nanofibers, and alkyl chains of intermediate length (C9 and C11 ) gave the best results. Apparent contact angles (θw ) of up to 150° were obtained, and the water adhesion properties were highly variable. This work is important for many applications in which the control of interaction forces with a medium is required, such as in oil-water separation membranes or water-harvesting systems.