Synthesis and structure of poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene film with the inclusions of palladium nanoparticles

Abstract

By chemical deposition of ultrafine particles of metallic palladium on the polymer matrix of poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) composite PEDOT/Pd films were obtained. The conditions of synthesis of the composite films in dependence on the duration of exposure of the reduced form of PEDOT film in a solution of palladium chloride, its concentration and the film thickness were studied. By the methods of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) it was shown that in the process of the synthesis of the composite films the nanosized palladium particles of predominantly quasispherical shape precipitated on the globular structure of the polymer. The size of the palladium nanoparticles in the composite PEDOT film and the nature of their distribution over the film bulk were revealed. An increase in the duration of deposition of the palladium nanoparticles on the film was shown to lead to an increase in their size and in the density of particles in the film.