FeCl3 Concentration Research Articles

Clarification of the effluent of an anaerobic digestion process: comparative study of single-stage and double-phase processes, with addition of coagulant and without addition of chemical coagulant

A study of the phenomenon of sedimentation of sludge from the anaerobic digestion of codigestion phases and monostage was performed, compared with addition and without addition of coagulant, the dose and concentration required was determined in the laboratory by jar test, the concentration of FeCl3 resulted in 15000 mg / l. The results of the sedimentation curves of the interface below codigestion phases fit the equation y = 0.0861 x2 -14.198 x + 970.63, the interphase curves below co-digestion phases with addition of FeCl3 fits an equation y = 0.0714 x2 - 12.512 x + 1008.4, the interface above single-stage codigestion fits an equation y = 0.0423 x2- 6.3681 x + 917.91, the interface below single-stage codigestion fits an equation y = 0.0953 x2 - 15.714 x + 975.1, the interface above single-stage codigestion with addition of FeCl3 fits an equation y = 0.0393 x2 - 5.196 x + 977.79, the interphase below single-stage codigestion with addition of FeCl3 fits into an equation y = 0.838 x2 - 13.824 x + 981.43.

Effect of operating variables on functions of sodium alginate granules based on drinking water treatment residues

Drinking water treatment residues (DWTR) have been regarded as a promising adsorbent for phosphorus control. The granulation of DWTR is a crucial step for its application in the filtration system. Traditional granulation processes could not achieve the balance between stable structures and adsorption capacities. Encapsulation of DWTR powders into alginate beads overcame these drawbacks. However, previous studies ignored the effect of preparation parameters on the properties of DWTR particles. In this study, the effects of sodium alginate (SA) concentrations, alginate types, Fe3+ concentrations, and gelation times on structures and mechanical stabilities of DWTR granules were investigated in depth based on their morphologies and pore structures, and compressive strength. The results showed that SA concentrations influenced the viscosity of DWTR-SA solution, and that granulation of DWTR with low SA concentration resulted in incomplete crosslinking, but granulation of DWTR with high SA concentration could change the shape of final granules. 2% SA was chosen as an optimum concentration for DWTR granules preparation. The ratios of M/G in SA affected the microstructures and mechanical strength of resultant granules. The presence of high G-block content in SA resulted in the formation of a dense crosslinking structure, which increased mechanical strength but decreased specific surface area. The morphologies of DWTR granules did not change as Fe3+ concentrations increased, and the granules with excellent mechanical strength were obtained at FeCl3 concentrations of 2% (w/v). The DWTR spheres could maturate quickly and are stable after 4 h. The resulting granular DWTR exhibited a comparable P adsorption capacity (26.89 mg-P/g) to the original powder, which was better than traditional P adsorption materials and pellet DWTR produced by high-temperature calcination. The results should be helpful for engineers to choose the best granulation parameters for their applications.

Anodic WO3 layers sensitized with hematite operating under the visible light spectrum

Tungsten oxide has been considered one of the most promising photoanode materials for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. WO3 possesses a relatively narrow band gap (2.5–2.8 eV) and superior charge transport properties. In this paper, for the first time, anodic WO3 layers were sensitized with Fe2O3 by electrodeposition and re-annealing method. The influence of FeCl3 concentration in the electrolyte used for the electrodeposition process on the morphology, semiconducting and photoelectrochemical properties was investigated. Since the band gap of hematite is narrower when compared to tungsten oxide, its modification/sensitization with hematite is a promising way to transfer WO3 photoactivity to the visible light region. To sum up, a successfully performed synthesis of Fe2O3-WO3 and Fe2O3–C,N-WO3 heterojunctions resulted in a shift of the material photoresponse towards the visible light region even to the wavelength of 550 nm. The best results were achieved for the Fe2O3–C,N-WO3 sample, that exhibits IPCE values about 1.6 times higher at 450 nm and 12 times higher at 480 nm in comparison to pristine anodic WO3.

Adsorption performance of tetracycline by the biomass ash derived from the pyrolysis of FeCl3-activated municipal sludge without gas protection.

The municipal sludge activated by FeCl3 solution was pyrolyzed at 500 °C without gas protection, and the pyrolysis products, named as biomass ash, could effectively adsorb tetracycline (TC) from aqueous solution. Different FeCl3 concentrations could directly affect the physicochemical properties of the biomass ash, so that the biomass ash as adsorbent showed different adsorption efficiency toward TC. The activation of FeCl3 increased the oxygen-containing functional groups and surface polarities of the biomass ash. When the concentration of FeCl3 solution was 0.5 mol/L, the biomass ash behaved the maximum specific surface area (37.74 m2/g) and the best adsorption efficiency. The pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the Freundlich multi-molecule model could fully explain the TC adsorption process by the biomass ash pyrolyzed from municipal sludge activated by FeCl3. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism was mainly attributed to the chemical adsorption.

Structural modification of diamond-wire-cut multicrystalline Si by Cu-catalyzed chemical etching for surface structuring

During the multicrystalline Si (mc-Si) solar cell production, metal-catalyzed chemical etching (MCCE) is an effective method for constructing texture surface on diamond wire sawing (DWS) cut mc-Si wafer. A dense Cu film was formed on silicon surface by Cu-MCCE, significantly restricting the etching process. In this work, FeCl3, MnO2 and H2O2, were selected to modify the structure of texture surface by one-step Cu-MCCE method. A wedge-shaped structure was formed when the concentration of FeCl3 and etching time are 0.2 mol/L and 15 min, and its reflectivity is 22.9%. A composite structure with shallow pits and nanopores was formed when the amount of MnO2 and etching time are 50 g/L and 20 min, and its reflectivity is 23.2%. An inverted pyramid structure was formed when the concentration of H2O2 and etching time are 3 mol/L and 15 min, and its reflectivity is 18.2%. The best conversion efficiency (η) of solar cell obtained is 19.0%, and, the depth-to-width ratio of texture structure is 1.33.

Removal of Microcystis aeruginosa cells using the dead cells of a marine filamentous bacterium, Aureispira sp. CCB-QB1.

Inorganic and synthetic flocculants are widely investigated for removing harmful microalgae, such as Microcystis aeruginosa. However, their toxicity and non-biodegradability are shortcomings. Bioflocculants based on extracellular polysaccharides have attracted much attention as alternative flocculants. However, its high production cost is a limiting factor for applying bioflocculants. Here, we investigate the potential of the dead cells of a marine filamentous bacterium, Aureispira sp. CCB-QB1, as a novel flocculant on M. aeruginosa cells. The removal efficiency of M. aeruginosa cells by the dead cells was measured by mixing and shaking both components in a buffer with 5 mM CaCl2 in different incubation times and concentrations of the dead cells. After that, the minimum effective concentration of CaCl2 was determined. The combination effect of FeCl3 and the dead cells on the removal efficiency was tested. The structure of cell aggregates consisted of the dead cells and M. aeruginosa cells were also observed using a scanning electron microscope. The maximum removal efficiency (75.39%) was reached within 3 min in the presence of CaCl2 when 5 mg/ml of the dead cells (wet cells) were added. The optimal concentration of CaCl2 was 5 mM. The combination of the dead cells and a low concentration of FeCl3 (10 mg/L) with 5 mM of CaCl2 significantly improved the removal efficiency by about 1.2 times (P < 0.05). This result indicates that the combination usage of the dead cells can reduce the use of FeCl3. These results indicated that the dead cells could potentially be a novel biolfocculant to remove M. aeruginosa cells.

The behavior of hydrothermally synthesized hematite nanorods prepared on spin coated seed layers

Herein we report on the effect of varied spin-coated seed layer concentrations of Iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3.6H2O) on the photoelectrochemical performance of hydrothermally synthesized hematite nanorods. The seed layers were prepared from 0.05, 0.07, 0.09, 0.11, and 0.13 M concentrations of FeCl3.6H2O. The nanorods were vertically aligned with slight inclinations over the seed layers with the two lowest molar concentrations (0.05 and 0.07 M) of FeCl3.6H2O. A further increase in seed layer concentrations transformed the nanorods as they grew over others and agglomerated into clusters. Structural analysis using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated uniform hematite crystalline peaks for all the samples. All samples absorbed highly in the visible region within an onset absorption edge wavelength ranging from 624 to 675 nm. Overall, the nanorods synthesized over the lowest seed layer concentration of 0.05 M of FeCl3.6H2O exhibited the highest photocurrent density of 0.077 mA cm−2 at 1.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. The results obtained provide important information about the structural, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties of hematite nanorods synthesized over varied seed layer concentrations. This is a key contribution in understanding and enhancing the hematite nanorods performance for photocatalytic applications.

Adsorption of Sulfonamides in Aqueous Solution on Reusable Coconut-Shell Biochar Modified by Alkaline Activation and Magnetization.

Biochar is a low-cost adsorbent for sorptive removal of antibiotics from wastewater, but the adsorption efficiency needs to be improved. In this study, coconut-shell biochar was activated with KOH to improve the adsorption efficiency and magnetically modified with FeCl3 to enable recycling. The amount of KOH and the concentration of FeCl3 were optimized to reduce the pollution and production cost. The KOH-activated and FeCl3-magnetized biochar gave good sulfonamide antibiotic (SA) removal. The maximum adsorption capacities for sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxazole were 294.12, 400.00 and 454.55 mg g−1, respectively, i.e., five to seven times higher than those achieved with raw biochar. More than 80% of the adsorption capacity was retained after three consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. A combination of scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and magnetic hysteresis analysis showed that KOH activation increased the specific surface area, porosity, and number of oxygen-rich functional groups. Iron oxide particles, which were formed by FeCl3 magnetization, covered the biochar surface. The SAs were adsorbed on the modified biochar via hydrogen bonds between SA molecules and -OH/-COOH groups in the biochar. Investigation of the adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and a monolayer adsorption mechanism. The adsorption capacity at low pH was relatively high because of a combination of π+-π electron-donor-acceptor, charge-assisted hydrogen-bonding, electrostatic, and Lewis acid-base interactions, pore filling, van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions. The results of this study show that magnetically modified biochar has potential applications as an effective, recyclable adsorbent for antibiotic removal during wastewater treatment.

Structure and Population of Complex Ionic Species in FeCl2 Aqueous Solution by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

Technologies for mass production require cheap and abundant materials such as ferrous chloride (FeCl2). The literature survey shows the lack of experimental studies to validate theoretical conclusions related to the population of ionic Fe-species in the aqueous FeCl2 solution. Here, we present an in situ X-ray absorption study of the structure of the ionic species in the FeCl2 aqueous solution at different concentrations (1–4 molL−1) and temperatures (25–80 °C). We found that at low temperature and low FeCl2 concentration, the octahedral first coordination sphere around Fe is occupied by one Cl ion at a distance of 2.33 (±0.02) Å and five water molecules at a distance of 2.095 (±0.005) Å. The structure of the ionic complex gradually changes with an increase in temperature and/or concentration. The apical water molecule is substituted by a chlorine ion to yield a neutral Fe[Cl2(H2O)4]0. The observed substitutional mechanism is facilitated by the presence of the intramolecular hydrogen bonds as well as entropic reasons. The transition from the single charged Fe[Cl(H2O)5]+ to the neutral Fe[Cl2(H2O)4]0 causes a significant drop in the solution conductivity, which well correlates with the existing conductivity models.

Pretreatment and Enzymatic Saccharification of Water Hyacinth, Sugarcane Bagasse, Maize Straw, and Green Coconut Shell Using an Organosolv Method with Glycerol and FeCl3

A method to pretreatment of biomasses using glycerol as a green solvent was developed. Optimization of organosolv pretreatment was performed using a 23 factorial design, investigating synergism among the variables particle size (from &lt; 0.85 to &gt; 2.0 mm), FeCl3 concentration (0.025-0.175 mol L–1), and temperature (160-220 °C). Although the effects of the variables differed according to the type of lignocellulose, it was nonetheless possible to find an optimal condition in common (&lt; 0.85 mm; 0.025 mol L–1; 220 °C), which was economically and environmentally sustainable, employing a small amount of catalyst. The biomasses pretreated using this combination of factors exhibited enzymatic digestibility exceeding 93% after 48 h, reflecting efficient reduction of recalcitrance as a result of high removal of hemicellulose (ca. 90%), provided by the use of FeCl3, together with substantial delignification. There was low formation of inhibitors in the hydrolysate, indicating that it could be directly fermented. The lignin removed to liquors could be easily recovered by centrifugation. Tests carried out under the optimal condition revealed that after the pretreatment the biomass could be directly used in enzymatic hydrolysis, without washing and wet. Furthermore, after simple treatment, crude glycerol was as effective as commercial glycerol.

EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE CONCENTRATION AND FeCl2 ADDITION ON L-ASPARAGINASE ACTIVITIES OF BACTERIA SYMBIONTS BROWN ALGAE Sargassum sp. AND ITS POTENTIAL AS A NEW ANTI-DENGUE AGENTS

The disintegration of the amide link, causing L-Asparaginase catalyzes the hydrolysis process of L-Asparagine into ammonia and aspartic acid. The purposes of this study were to determine the optimal conditions for enzyme production and enzymatic activity, including their potential as a new anti-dengue of L-asparaginase from Klebsiella sp. The Nessler method used a UV-Visible spectrophotometer to determine the L-asparaginase activity by measuring ammonia levels produced by L-asparaginase catalysis. The ideal fermentation period was at the 48th hour, and the optimal substrate concentration was 10 g/L with an activity value of 49.572 U/mL, and the optimal FeCl2 concentration was 0.5 g/L with an activity value of 60.1183 U/mL, and protein content of 0.1878 mg/mL. The optimum conditions for L-asparaginase, which has an activity value of 61.1182 U/mL, were observed at pH 8 and 37 °C. The optimum cofactor concentration of FeCl2 was 0.5 mM, which resulted in an activity value of 106.5046 U/mL. Both the inhibition percentage and CC50 value were 80% and 167.15 μg/mL respectively, showing that the L-asparaginase has a high antidengue potential.

Mechanism of Dy3+ and Nd3+ Ions Electrochemical Coreduction with Ni2+, Co2+, and Fe3+ Ions in Chloride Melts

The present paper is devoted to the study of the processes of the mechanism of electrochemical coreduction of Dy3+ and Nd3+ ions with Ni2+, Co2+, and Fe3+ ions in the equimolar NaCl-KCl melt at 973 K and characterization of the synthesized samples. The performed voltammetry analysis of the electrochemical coreduction processes elucidated a significant difference in the values of the extraction potentials of the studied metals. This melt testifies that intermetallic compounds of Dy and Nd with Ni, Co, and Fe may be synthesized in the kinetic regime. The intermetallic phases of Dy and Nd with Ni, Co, and Fe are found to be formed along with the phases of metallic Ni, Co, and Fe either during electrolysis at the cathode current densities exceeding the limiting diffusion current of Ni2+, Co2+, and Fe3+ ions or in the potentiostatic regime at the potentials of the corresponding voltammetry curves. Therefore, the following interrelated key parameters affecting the electrochemical synthesis of Dy and Nd intermetallic compounds with Ni, Co, and Fe were determined: (i) composition of the electrolyte, i.e., concentrations of FeCl3, CoCl2, NiCl2, DyCl3, and NdCl3; (ii) cathode current density or electrolysis potential and (iii) electrolysis time. The obtained samples were characterized by micro-X-ray diffraction analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and scanning electron microscopy methods.

Effect of iron chlorine concentration on type of green synthezed iron oxides nanoparticles using pheonixdactylifera l leaves extract

Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by green synthesis process, using Pheonix Dactylifera. L. leaves ethanolic extractas polyphynols source and FeCl3 aqueous solution as precursor, where the volume ration was 1:2. The concentration of FeCl3 was varied as follow: (0.01, 0.02, 0.03 and 0.04M). To charactrizethe obtained iron oxide NPs, XRD, SEM, UV-VIS and FTIR techniques were used. XRD analyses show the existence of three essentials compounds of iron oxide NPs: maghemite phase, hematite phase and beta phase. While the grain size of these compoundswas varied in the ranges of 22.91-37.40nm, 20.41-31.32nm and 17.96-25.25nm respectively. SEM images analysis showed that all samples have spherical shaped particles. UV-VIS analysis showed that the variation of FeCl3 concentration hasdirecteffect on theband gap of the product which rangeedin the range 2.162-2.358eV, whereas FTIR study confirms the abundance of Fe-O bonds in all samples.

In vitro plant growth promoter assay of actinobacteria potential for tidal land farming

The use of tidal land for agricultural still faces constraints, mainly due to high iron content. Actinobacteria produce bioactive compound with many functions. The aim of this work was to assess the growth of actinobacteria at various iron concentrations and its capability as plant growth promoter. Four actinobacteria isolates (Cal31t, Dbi28t, Crc32t and Cal24h) were grown at various iron concentrations. The isolates were examined for their capability to produce IAA and fix N2 under in vitro assay. The growth of actinobacteria under stress conditions was examined by cultivating them in ISP2 medium at pH 4, 3% NaCl, 750 mg.L−1 AlCl3 and 8 concentrations of FeCl3, i.e. 0, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000, 32000 mg.L−1. Actinobacteria isolates were able to grow under iron stress condition up to 32.000 mg.L−1. Both Cal3t and Dbi28t produced higher cell biomass compared with the other two tested isolates. All isolates produced IAA when grown under iron stress condition up to 4000 mg.L−1 of FeCl3, were able to grow under N-free medium and capable to produce ammonia at various concentrations. Crc32t produced the highest number of ammonia (0,354 mg.L−1). Cal31t and Crc32t isolates have the potency as plant growth promoter in tidal land farming.

Internal Polymerization of Epoxy Group of Epoxidized Natural Rubber by Ferric Chloride and Formation of Strong Network Structure.

In this work, studies are carried out to understand the crosslinking reaction of epoxidized natural rubber (50 mol% epoxy, ENR-50) by metal ion namely ferric ion (Fe3+, FeCl3, ferric chloride). It is found that a small amount of FeCl3 can cure ENR to a considerable extent. A direct interaction of the ferric ion with the epoxy group as well as internal polymerization enable the ENR to be cured in an efficient manner. It was also found that with the increased concentration of FeCl3, the crosslinking density of the matrix increased and therefore, the ENR offers higher mechanical properties (i.e., modulus and tensile strength). In addition, the glass transition temperature (tg) of ENR vulcanizate is increased with increasing concentration of FeCl3. Moreover, the thermal degradation temperature (Td) of the ENR-FeCl3 compound was shifted toward higher temperature as increasing concentration FeCl3.

Viability of Activated Carbon Derived from Polystyrene Sulphonate Beads as Electrical Double Layer Capacitors

In this paper, a commercial polymeric resin precursor (polystyrene sulphonate beads) was used as a source of carbon spheres. The resin was pyrolyzed at different temperatures (700, 800, and 900 °C) and the resulting carbons were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). From the result of EIS, carbon spheres obtained at 700 °C (CS−700) have the least ohmnic resistance and highest capacitance. In furtherance, the resin was chemically activated with iron (III) chloride FeCl3·6H2O at different concentration (0.1 M, 0.3 M, and 0.5 M) and pyrolyzed at 700 °C to obtain activated carbon sphere namely (ACS 700−0.1, ACS 700−0.3, and ACS 700−0.5) in which the last digit of the samples denotes the concentration of FeCl3. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the carbon is of spherical shape; X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photon electron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed successful introduction of Fe on the surface of the carbon. Out of all the activated carbon spheres, ACS 700−0.1 exhibited highest double layer capacitance of 9 µF cm−2 and lowest charge transfer resistance of 3.33 KΩ·cm2. This method shows that carbon spheres obtained from a polymeric source can be easily improved by simple resin modification and the carbon could be a potential candidate for an electrical double layer capacitor.

Preparation and Application of Superhydrophobic Copper Mesh by Chemical Etching and In-situ Growth.

Oily sewage and floating oil in the ocean post a huge threat to the ecological environment, therefore, developing an efficient separation for oil/water mixtures is an urgent need. Currently, superhydrophobic materials exhibit excellent oil/water separation ability. In this study, a superhydrophobic copper mesh prepared by the chemical etching method and the in-situ growth method and the performance evaluation are introduced. The oxide layer on the surface of the copper mesh is first removed by pickling, and then immersed in FeCl3 solution for chemical etching to make the surface rough, stearic acid (SA) is used for in-situ growth to reduce the surface energy, a superhydrophobic oil-water separation copper mesh is obtained. The water contact angle (WCA) of the copper mesh is more than 160°. The copper mesh is chemically stable and can effectively adsorb floating oil and separate the oil-water mixture. After several oil-water separation experiments, the oil-water separation efficiency can still be above 98%. The effects of the concentration of FeCl3 and SA on the contact angle and oil-water separation efficiency are investigated, the results show that when the concentration of FeCl3 is 2% and SA is 1.5%, the WCA and oil-water separation efficiency are the largest. The research used a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare the oil-water separation copper mesh, which has important application significance for water quality restoration.

Revealing the influence of metallic chlorides pretreatment on chemical structures of lignin and enzymatic hydrolysis of waste wheat straw

The addition of various metallic chlorides in pretreatment of lignocellulose have been widely reported to improve cellulose conversion via cellulolytic processing. However, the interaction mechanism between lignin and metallic cations is not well known. In this work, pretreatment with different concentrations of FeCl3 and AlCl3 were performed upon waste wheat straw to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. Results showed that pretreatment with FeCl3 and AlCl3 could facilitate the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency increasing from 50.4% to 82.9% and 76.6%, which was attributed to the enhancement of xylan removal by 33.8% (FeCl3) and 36.5% (AlCl3), respectively. Meanwhile, the surface charge, hydrophobicity, and protein adsorption capacity of lignin from waste wheat straw can be decreased by 3.3 mV, 0.6 L/g, 7.6 mg/g (FeCl3). This was due to the depolymerization of lignin in metallic chlorides pretreatment. These findings will be used to further evaluate the effect of metallic chlorides in biorefinery pretreatment.

A high-productivity process for mass-producing Fe3O4 nanoparticles by co-precipitation in a rotating packed bed

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were mass-produced using a rotating packed bed (RPB) and the role of stoichiometric ratio and the effects of the FeCl2 and FeCl3 concentrations, aging temperature, and Fe2+ and Fe3+ sources on the characteristics of the obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles were examined. A high-productivity process for mass-producing Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a rate of approximately 23 kg/day was developed with an FeSO4 concentration of 0.15 mol/L, an FeCl3 concentration of 0.3 mol/L, an NaOH concentration of 1.2 mol/L, a production temperature of 25 °C, an aging temperature of 25 °C, a rotational speed of 1800 rpm, a flow rate of aqueous FeSO4/FeCl3 of 0.5 L/min, and a flow rate of aqueous NaOH of 0.5 L/min. The thus mass-produced Fe3O4 nanoparticles had a mean diameter of 8.4 nm and exhibited superparamagnetism with a saturation magnetization of 61 emu/g. Since the RPB provides excellent micromixing and overcomes the difficulty of mass-production that is associated with traditional co-precipitation in a batch process, Fe3O4 nanoparticles that are mass-produced in an RPB are smaller than Fe3O4 nanoparticles that are batch-produced in a batch reactor, and so have a greater adsorption capacity to remove Reactive Red 2 from water. The results in this work demonstrate that an RPB can mass-produce Fe3O4 nanoparticles at a production temperature of 25 °C and an aging temperature of 25 °C with a low molar ratio of OH− to Fe2+ (8:1). Accordingly, a high-productivity process for mass-producing Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be implemented using an RPB with co-precipitation.

Improving the thermoelectric performances of polymer via synchronously realizing of chemical doping and side-chain cleavage

Side-chain cleavage is an effective strategy to reconstruct the arrangement of polymer main chains, thus improving their electrical properties and corrosion stability. However, simultaneously realizing side-chain cleavage and chemical doping of polymer semiconductors have not been reported. Herein, a series of p-type polymer semiconductors with the incorporation of ester-cleavage groups (PBDTTT-TETx, X is the molar ratio of the cleavage ester groups and nondegradable alkyl groups) were designed and synthesized. The introduced functional ester side-chains on PBDTTT-TET0.5 can be degraded by a commonly used p-type dopant FeCl3 readily, resulting in the maximum 120-fold enhancement in electrical conductivity and 15-fold increase in power factor at the FeCl3 concentration of 30 mM, compared to the reference one (PBDTTT-PET0.5 with the nondegradable ester side-chains). Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy measurements and X-ray diffraction reveal that the increase of crystalline domains along with the side-chain cleavage contributes to the formation of (bi)polaron network. The improved doping efficiency can be reflected by their ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–vis-NIR spectroscopy results. Moreover, a further optimized power factor can be achieved for PBDTTT-TET0.05, which is 5.8 times higher than that of PBDTTT-TET. Therefore, molecule design strategy by incorporating FeCl3-cleavage ester groups into the π-conjugated backbones provided an effective approach to establish advanced TE materials.