Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxypyrrole) Enwrapped by Reduced Graphene Oxide: How Conduction Behavior at Nanolevel Leads to Increased Electrochemical Activity

Abstract

Composite films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole) (PEDOP) enwrapped by reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and flanked by an ionic liquid (IL: dialkyl substituted imidazolium imide) have been synthesized. To study the effect of functionalized RGO on the polymer, the structure, conduction properties, and redox chemistry of the PEDOP-RGO/IL composite films have been compared with that of the control PEDOP-IL film, doped only by the ionic liquid imide anion. Evidence for the successful inclusion of RGO/IL in PEDOP was obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy, in the form of modified C1s signals, new signals due to nitrogen and sulfur, and also the revelation of a quasi-hexagonal assembly of atoms in the RGO/IL nanosheets. Conductive-atomic force microscopy revealed the role of RGO/IL in completely modifying the charge carrying ability of PEDOP, as unusually high current values and a largely uniform current distribution were achieved in the PEDOP-RGO/IL compos...