Micro- and nanostructuring of oligo- and polythiophenes in two and three dimensions

Abstract

Oligothiophenes bearing methacrylic functionalities were two-dimensional-structured by stamping techniques. The localised monomer was hardened by radical polymerisation in UV light. The structures in micrometre- and nanometre-scale were characterised electrochemically by SECM. An inverse polymer opal with extremely high inner surface and periodicity was obtained by localising the photosensitive oligothiophene within an opal template of SiO 2 beads. Cyclic voltammetry of the oligothiophenes in aprotic solvents was carried out to examine possible electrochemical conversions. A self-assembling technique for lateral and vertical structuring of polythiophenes with pendant sulfonate and phosphonium ion groups has been applied. This polyelectrolyte multilayer adsorption on flat and prestructured substrates allowed us to produce three-dimensional structures in nanometre-scale. Cyclic voltammetry of these multilayers proves the reversible redox cycling of these polymers with a doping degree of approximately 16%.