Structure Of PEDOT Research Articles

Biscrolled hierarchical hybrid structure of PEDOT:PSS/CNTs-NMP yarn based solid state linear supercapacitor for wearable e-textile

The environmental friendly flexible solid state linear supercapacitor (FSLSc) based on the hierarchical hybrid yarn with core-shell type structure of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and hydrophilic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) sheet, fabricated using novel biscrolling technique is proposed. The hierarchical hybrid yarn structure of the electrode establishes the improved electrochemical interface of PEDOT:PSS with the both the hydrophilic CNTs and an aqueous PVA/H3PO4 gel electrolyte. The exterior surface of the yarn electrode rich in PEDOT:PSS which interact with ions from electrolyte and stores charges faradaically while the core region with dense CNTs yarn contributes with its multifunctional capabilities such as EDLC type capacitor, current collector and mechanical support. The observed two-fold decrease in ESR value (∼49Ω) and two-fold increase in capacitance (∼112.76 F/g) for hybrid yarn electrode with N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) treated hydrophilic CNTs compared to the one with pristine CNTs, confirms the improved interface of PEDOT:PSS formed with hydrophilic CNTs and aqueous electrolyte. The FSLSc devices with NMP treated CNTs hybrid yarn electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical performance in terms of the maximum power and energy density of 980 W/kg and 3.799 Wh/kg, respectively. The FSLSc displayed remarkable cycling performance upto 5000 cycles of charge-discharge and a robust bending stability after 1000 bending cycles, making it promising for practical application of the next-generation flexible solid state electrochemical energy storage in e-textiles.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) As an Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting: From Fundamental Insights to Practical Applications in Sustainable Hydrogen Production

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) has recently emerged as a highly promising and versatile electrocatalyst for water splitting, a pivotal process in the realm of renewable energy conversion. This review comprehensively explores the multifaceted aspects of PEDOT's electrocatalytic prowess, covering its intrinsic properties, synthetic methodologies, catalytic mechanisms, and practical applications in the context of water electrolysis. PEDOT, [C2H4O2C4H2S]n a conductive polymer, exhibits unique features that render it particularly suitable for electrocatalysis. With its excellent electrical conductivity, notable stability, and facile synthesis, PEDOT stands out among its counterparts. These attributes make PEDOT an attractive candidate for addressing the challenges associated with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the two half-reactions constituting water splitting.One of the key advantages of PEDOT lies in its high surface area, which allows for increased active sites for catalysis. The tunable redox states of PEDOT further contribute to its electrocatalytic versatility, enabling tailored catalytic performance through controlled doping and modifications. The efficient charge transport properties of PEDOT are crucial for facilitating electron transfer during the electrocatalytic processes, ensuring high catalytic activity. This review delves into the simple fabrication of PEDOT-based electrocatalysts. Researchers have explored various strategies, including morphological control, doping with heteroatoms, and integration into composite materials, to enhance the catalytic performance of PEDOT. The rational design of PEDOT structures has demonstrated the potential to surpass the limitations of traditional electrocatalysts and unlock new avenues for efficient water splitting.In elucidating the mechanistic aspects of PEDOT's catalytic activity, the review investigates the intricate interplay of surface interactions, redox reactions, and mass transport phenomena. Understanding the fundamental principles governing PEDOT's electrocatalytic behavior is essential for optimizing its performance and guiding further developments in this burgeoning field. Simple electrodeposition method is carried out to polymerize EDOT. Cyclic voltammetry method was used for synthesizing PEDOT on nickel foam. Then the sample was heated at differnet temperatures.Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) Overpotential:An overpotential of 170 mV at 10 mA/cm² is observed for the HER which indicates that PEDOT as an effective in catalyzing the reduction of protons to form hydrogen gas. A lower overpotential implies that PEDOT facilitates the electrochemical reaction at a lower energy input, showcasing its efficiency as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen production.Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) Overpotential:The PEDOT exhibits an overpotential of 300 mV at 10 mA/cm² for the OER which suggests its enhanced performance in catalyzing the oxidation of water to produce oxygen gas. While this overpotential is higher than that for the HER, it is still within a range that indicates good catalytic activity for the challenging OER.Surpassing Many Catalyst Behaviors:PEDOT's performance, as indicated by its low overpotentials, exceeds that of many other catalysts commonly used for water splitting reactions. This could include traditional metal-based catalysts or other conductive polymers, highlighting PEDOT's potential as a superior electrocatalyst. More electrochemical studies have been taken to prove practical application for PEDOT while the reported overpotentials are promising, and additional research and experimentation are being conducted to validate and understand PEDOT's practical application in real-world scenarios. This involve studying its stability over time, scalability, and compatibility with alkaline electrolyte systems and operational conditions. Figure 1

Solvent-doped PEDOT:PSS: Structural transformations towards enhanced electrical conductivity and transferable electromagnetic shields

The enhanced electrical conductivity of solvent-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is attributed to the screening effect between PSS and PEDOT chains. Yet, the precise manner in which this effect influences the crystalline structure and conformation of PEDOT:PSS remains unclear. In this study, we utilize Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) to examine the conformational changes and two-dimensional (2D) crystalline structure of PEDOT:PSS when doped with a variety of solvents, including dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG), dimethylformamide (DMF), methanol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and acetone. Our observations unveil that solvent doping improves the electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS by modifying its crystalline structure. This alteration leads to reduced inter-lamellar (d200) and π-π stacking (d010) distances, facilitating the formation of densely packed and well-ordered PEDOT crystallites in both face-on and edge-on orientations. Moreover, this doping process enhances the transferability and mechanical properties of drop-casted films, resulting in a flexible and transferable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield with exceptional total shielding effectiveness (SET) of 35.70 dB and specific shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) of 7105.34 dB cm2.g−1.

An Electronic Structure Investigation of PEDOT with AlCl4- Anions-A Promising Redox Combination for Energy Storage Applications.

In this work, we use density functional theory to investigate the electronic structure of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) oligomers with co-located AlCl4- anions, a promising combination for energy storage. The 1980s bipolaron model remains the dominant interpretation of the electronic structure of PEDOT despite recent theoretical progress that has provided new definitions of bipolarons and polarons. By considering the influence of oligomer length, oxidation or anion concentration and spin state, we find no evidence for many of the assertions of the 1980s bipolaron model and so further contribute to a new understanding. No self-localisation of positive charges in PEDOT is found, as predicted by the bipolaron model at the hybrid functional level. Instead, our results show distortions that exhibit a single or a double peak in bond length alternations and charge density. Either can occur at different oxidation or anion concentrations. Rather than representing bipolarons or polaron pairs in the original model, these are electron distributions driven by a range of factors. Distortions can span an arbitrary number of nearby anions. We also contribute a novel conductivity hypothesis. Conductivity in conducting polymers has been observed to reduce at anion concentrations above 0.5. We show that at high anion concentrations, the energy of the localised, non-bonding anionic orbitals approaches that of the system HOMO due to Coulombic repulsion between anions. We hypothesize that with nucleic motion in the macropolymer, these orbitals will interfere with the hopping of charge carriers between sites of similar energy, lowering conductivity.

Polymer‐Regulating MXene@Dopamine Electroactive Gel‐Inks for Textile‐Based Multi‐Protective Wearables

Abstract2D transition metal carbide/nitride (MXene) show significant potential for fabricating flexible wearables due to its outstanding electroactive characteristic. However, the complex processes in rheology regulation and easy agglomeration of MXene nanosheets hinder their applications as inks for homogeneous printing and coating. Herein, an electroactive gel‐ink with a low concentration of MXene (20 mg mL−1) using poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as a dopant and conductive binder is developed. The dopamine‐involved modification and PEDOT:PSS doping together promote the formation of ordered lamellar structure of MXene nanosheets, and in turn the nanosheets can regulate the interconnected electronic structure of PEDOT:PSS, which enables the transition from micellar to linear structures. Through adjusting the combination ratio of dopamine‐modified MXene (MD) to PEDOT:PSS, the viscosity of MXene inks (MDP) is tunable within 1–104 Pa·s to realize scalable printing and other processing. Screen‐printing with MDP gel‐ink endows textiles with excellent conductive stability while retaining the inherent wearability of the original fabric. With high conductivity (109.6 S m−1) and low mid‐infrared emissivity (0.34), the decorated textiles exhibit remarkable multi‐protective abilities. This work provides a novel strategy for formulating versatile MXene inks that will facilitate the large‐scale fabrication of high‐performance personal wearable multi‐protective textiles.

Influence of protonic acid on the structure and properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) in oxidation polymerization.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is widely used because of its excellent performance. We report the synthesis of two PEDOT:PSS dispersions. The two dispersions differ by the addition of additional protonic acid in the oxidative polymerization system. Although there are examples of the introduction of acids into the polymerization system, the effects of acid on the structure and properties of these materials, in particular their mechanisms of action, have not been elucidated. We describe the chemical structure and molecular weight of two PEDOT polymers using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. The carrier concentration, carrier mobility, and surface morphology of the composites are characterized by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, electron spin resonance, Raman spectra, Hall effect measurements, and atomic force microscopy. The crystallinity of PEDOT:PSS was measured by X-ray diffraction patterns. We show that the addition of a proper amount of protonic acid to the oxidative polymerization system can effectively reduce the formation of the terminal carbonyl group of PEDOT chains, which is conducive to the growth of polymer chains, and further improve the carrier concentration, which leads to an improvement of conductivity. Our results highlight the optimization of the chemical structure of PEDOT in order to increase its molecular weight and ultimately its conductivity.

Investigation of structural, optical, and electrical properties of PEDOT:PSS/Au/PEDOT:PSS multilayer films

PEDOT:PSS/Au/PEDOT:PSS multilayer films were successfully prepared and investigated. The PEDOT:PSS and Au layers were prepared using spin coating and DC sputtering, respectively. The thickness of the Au layer was varied within the range of 2–10 nm to investigate its impact on the resulting multilayer films. The amorphous nature of the multilayer films was interpreted from X-ray diffraction analysis. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy identified that the multilayer films were the major surface chemical structure of PEDOT:PSS. The optical transmittance and sheet resistance characteristics of the multilayer films exhibited a significant reduction owing to the presence of the Au interlayer. In order to evaluate the optical-electrical properties of the multilayer films, a figure of merit (FOM) was calculated. Remarkably, the multilayer films featuring a thin Au layer of 2 nm yielded the highest FOM value. Therefore, it can be demonstrated that multilayer films of PEDOT:PSS/Au/PEDOT:PSS fabricated with a thin Au layer can be applicable for utilization in optoelectronic devices.

Organic-inorganic p-type PEDOT:PSS/CuO/MoS2 photocathode with in-built antipodal photogenerated holes and electrons transfer pathways for efficient solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting

Organic PEDOT:PSS thin film and n-type MoS2 flakes were incorporated on CuO photocathode as the underlying layer and surface co-catalysts, respectively, establishing a rationally-designed novel integrated structure of PEDOT:PSS/CuO/MoS2. The organic-inorganic interface of PEDOT:PSS/CuO effectively shuttles photogenerated holes towards the FTO/PEDOT:PSS junction. Furthermore, the surface MoS2 co-catalysts form a p-n junction with CuO, which accelerates the transport of photogenerated electrons towards the photocathode/electrolyte junction, in addition to providing more reactive sites for the H2 evolution reaction. These synergistically formed antipodal charge transfer pathways have led to improved charge separation, rapid interfacial charge transfer kinetics and impeded electron-hole recombination in the PEDOT:PSS/CuO/MoS2 photocathode, which can achieve a photocurrent density of – 2.26 mA/cm2 at −0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl (2.1 times higher than that of the bare CuO photocathode). Analytical characterisations, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS), also provide supporting evidence for its dramatically enhanced PEC water splitting performance.

High-Efficiency Degradation of Formaldehyde and Bioelectricity Generation by Microbial Fuel Cell

Formaldehyde is a common organic pollutant in water with teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. This study reports that 200 mg l−1 formaldehyde in water can be effectively degraded with generating electricity by using microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology. A novel composite anode M-Co3O4-PEDOT-GF was prepared by modifying Co3O4 nanoparticles (M-Co3O4) derived from ZIF-67 and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on the surface of Graphite felt (GF). The results showed that the MFC loading M-Co3O4-PEDOT-GF anode exhibited excellent electricity generation performance and formaldehyde degradation. The maximum voltage of the MFC was 549 mV, 46.0% increase than that of GF anode (376 mV), and higher than N-Co3O4-PEDOT-GF anode (488 mV) modified with commercial Co3O4 (N-Co3O4). The maximum power density of the MFC loading composite anode was 4177 mW m−2, while that of MFC loading bare GF anode was 1562 mW m−2. The dominant microorganisms were Pseudomonadales and Rhizobiales at the order level. The removal efficiency of formaldehyde by MFC loading M-Co3O4-PEDOT-GF anode was 89.2% in 152 h. The high efficiency of formaldehyde degradation was still maintained after 10 cycles. The results could be attributed to the composite anode with loose porous three-dimensional structure and good biological compatibility of PEDOT.

Carrier transport and Negative differential resistance of electrically bipolar devices based on poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene): Poly (styrene sulfonate) film

A poly (3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene): poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) film sandwiched between copper electrodes was used to create an electrically bipolar device using a conventional casting technique. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to investigate the structure, morphological behaviour, and homogeneous distribution of PEDOT conducting grains in the insulator matrix PSS. The device exhibits normal hysteretic electrical behaviour and a negative differential resistance (NDR) effect in the swept current-voltage (I–V) curves. By varying the PEDOT:PSS films' positive charge voltage and charging rate, the NDR effect may be tuned. A maximum current ratio of 103 can exist between the High Conducting State (HCS) and the Low-Conducting State (LCS). Complex impedance measurements of the Cu/PEDOT:PSS/Cu device were carried out at applied ac-voltage amplitude, Vac, range from 0.1 V to 2 V and over the frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 MHz at room temperature. Different models based on ac and dc experimental data are used to characterize and confirmed the carrier transport processes in the HC, LC-States and NDR.

Fabrication and Characterization of Humidity Sensors Based on PEDOT:PSS Doped with Gold and Silver Nanoparticles by Laser Ablation

This paper presents a simple, fast, and inexpensive method for the large-scale fabrication of polymer-based humidity sensors on glass substrates. The nanoparticles were synthesized using laser ablation, this is an environmentally friendly method for fabricating metal nanoparticles and provides a unique tool for nanofabrication. In this work, humidity sensing material, poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) along with different kinds of nanoparticles, Au and Ag, are employed to enhance the stability and sensitivity to humidity sensing. Based on the experimental results, the TEM images show the crystallinity of the nanoparticles, indicating alloying of the nanoparticles. Based on XRD, this result indicates that the amorphous structure of PEDOT:PSS is only slightly affected by mixing with nanoparticles. According to FE-SEM analysis, the formation of interconnected crystallites facilitates the charge transport mechanism in the polymer chains due to improved conduction paths. Has been Characterization of humidity sensors Using (LCR), study the effect of humidity on capacitance at different frequencies (100[Formula: see text]Hz, 1[Formula: see text]kHz, 10[Formula: see text]kHz, and 100[Formula: see text]kHz), and the response and recovery time characteristics. The results show excellent linear and active behavior of the capacitive humidity response. Ag, PEDOT, and Au NPs have a synergistic effect, exhibiting a more extended sensing range and better stability. This work shows a high-sensitivity and low-cost sensing material for different humidity sensor applications.

Influence of relative humidity on the structure, swelling and electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS fibers

PEDOT:PSS is a conducting polymer with a wide variety of applications in the field of organic electronics. Over the past few years our group has developed PEDOT:PSS fibers with high electrical conductivity and robust mechanical properties, and we have observed changes in their properties that seemed to stem from seasonal changes in atmospheric relative humidity. In this work, we report the influence of relative humidity on the swelling, electrical conductivity and structure of wet-spun PEDOT:PSS fibers. The diameter of the fibers linearly increased with relative humidity up to the 70–80% range where the increase became exponential. The electrical conductivity reversibly decreased with increasing relative humidity with a similar linear and then exponential behavior. Additionally, an irreversible decrease (aging) in electrical conductivity was also observed. To gain more insight into the structural origin of these changes, wide angle x-ray scattering of the PEDOT:PSS fibers were gathered at different relative humidities in the 10–90% range so that the changes in structure could be observed in situ. On one hand, the lamella stacking distance of PEDOT and PSS chains increased linearly up to the 70–80% relative humidity range where the increase became exponential. On the other hand, the π-π stacking distance between PEDOT chains remained unaltered. We found that the changes in the lamella stacking distance were closely correlated to the changes observed for the diameter and electrical conductivity.

A Light/Pressure Bifunctional Electronic Skin Based on a Bilayer Structure of PEDOT:PSS-Coated Cellulose Paper/CsPbBr3 QDs Film.

With the continuous development of electronic skin (e-skin), multifunctional e-skin is approaching, and in some cases even surpassing, the capabilities of real human skin, which has garnered increasing attention. Especially, if e-skin processes eye's function, it will endow e-skins more powerful advantages, such as the vision reparation, enhanced security, improved adaptability and enhanced interactivity. Here, we first study the photodetector based on CsPbBr3 quantum dots film and the pressure sensor based on PEDOT: PSS-coated cellulose paper, respectively. On the base of these two kinds of sensors, a light/pressure bifunctional sensor was successfully fabricated. Finally, flexible bifunctional sensors were obtained by using a flexible interdigital electrode. They can simultaneously detect light and pressure stimulation. As e-skin, a high photosensitivity with a switching ratio of 168 under 405 nm light at a power of 40 mW/cm2 was obtained and they can also monitor human motions in the meantime. Our work showed that the strategy to introduce perovskite photodetectors into e-skins is feasible and may open a new way for the development of flexible multi-functional e-skin.

Modelling the 3D Structure of PEDOT:PSS Supramolecular Assembly in Aqueous Dispersion Based on SAXS with Synchrotron Light

Modelling the 3D Structure of PEDOT:PSS Supramolecular Assembly in Aqueous Dispersion Based on SAXS with Synchrotron Light

Fabrication of an inverse opal structure of a hybrid metal-conducting polymer for plasmon-induced hyperthermia applications.

This paper describes the effective fabrication of an inverse opal (IO) structure for plasmon-induced hyperthermia applications using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) doped in a conducting polymer of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates were firstly modified electrochemically by a layer of the inverse opal structure of PEDOT (IO-PEDOT). These as-prepared electrodes were subsequently used as working electrodes for electrodepositing AgNPs. The presence of plasmonic AgNPs doped inside a polymer network caused the hybrid of IO-PEDOT and AgNPs to generate significantly more heat than thin-film PEDOT, thin-film PEDOT/AgNPs, and IO-PEDOT under 532 nm laser irradiation. This is attributed to the synergistic effect of the large active area inverse opal structure and doped AgNPs, which exhibit more thermal energy and heat faster than the individual component structures. These findings point to a wide range of potential applications for hybrid IO-PEDOT/AgNPs in hyperthermia treatment.

Low delay flexible paper-based electrode for capacitive sensor filled through carbon-based materials

Paper-based sensors have good application prospects due to their flexibility and environmental protection. However, paper-based materials are difficult to balance both conductivity and flexibility. This paper mainly reports a high porosity conductive paper based on bamboo wood mixed fiber materials through the wet-manufacture method. The crucial material properties, and long-chain structure of PEDOT:PSS, play an important role in conductivity and flexibility. The relevant experiments show that conductive paper has excellent physical properties and electrical signal transmission capacity. Among them, the conductivity of paper-based electrodes is up to 18.52 S/cm, and there is a low delay in the transmission of the electric signal, when the signal frequency is 300 kHz, the phase frequency angle changes by only 4.9°, not only that, as an electrode, the human pulse signal measured in the capacitive sensor is normal. Under the action of other composite materials, the manufactured electronic paper has a certain mechanical strength, and the thickness is about 90 μm, lower than ordinary paper products. The research shows that the paper-based electrode has the advantages of high conductivity, low hysteresis, light, and thinness, which provides the possibility to be used as a flexible electrode.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanostructures as Molecular Modifier for PEDOT:PSS Hole Transport Layer in Polymer Solar Cells

In this article, we introduced graphitic carbon nitride (g-C <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sub> ), a two-dimensional graphene-like material, tuning electronic properties of PEDOT:PSS via secondary doping. The incorporation of g-C <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sub> nanosheets (NS) and quantum dots (QDs) to the aqueous solution of PEDOT:PSS weakens the coulombic interaction between PEDOT and PSS chains, leading to the formation of expanded coil/linear conformational structure. Thereby, increasing the conductivity of doped PEDOT:PSS films by 75% and 30%, respectively, for the optimal doping concentrations of NS and QDs. The polymer solar cell employing these films as hole transport layer (HTL) yielded the power conversion efficiency of 7.65% and 6.44% for NS and QDs, respectively, compared to 5.45% for the reference devices with pristine PEDOT:PSS as HTL. This improvement in photovoltaic performance can be attributed to the increase in short circuit current, carrier mobility, fill factor, and reduced series resistance. The reduced contact barrier, owing to smooth NS and QDs modified HTL, facilitates the charge transport by reducing the overall device resistance by 88% and 30% for NS and QDs, respectively. The modification in the molecular structure of PEDOT:PSS because of the incorporation of NS and QDs resulted in improved device stability retaining almost 40% of the initial PCE even after 200 min of continuous illumination. The results demonstrate a systematic strategy of improving the conductivity and mobility of HTL, resulting in enhanced device performance.

Deciphering the quaternary structure of PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion with small-angle scattering

Solution structure and its relationship with the solid-state structure of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) determined the materials' conductivity and thus devices’ performance. In this work, we deciphered the multi-level structure of PEDOT:PSS with a set of sophisticated and complementary structural characterization techniques consisting of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SAXS and SANS results disclosed that the PEDOT:PSS formed a conductive network in the aqueous dispersion, which was ascribed to a quaternary structure. Secondary doping with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt significantly changed the quaternary structure of PEDOT:PSS and thus enhanced the film conductivity. In addition, we studied in situ the change of quaternary structure and the sample resistance during solvent evaporation with SAXS and resistance measurements, respectively, which provided detailed and fundamental knowledge about the structure-property correlations. This fundamental knowledge would guide the design and preparation of advanced flexible electronics.

Electrosynthesized nanostructured molecularly imprinted polymer for detecting diclofenac molecule

• Effective technique to generate nanostructured polymer on glassy carbon electrodes. • Micropatterned molecular imprinted polymer film for detecting diclofenac. • A cavity-confined electrochemical growth of PEDOT in the presence of DCF. • Simultaneous extraction of PS beads and DCF by dipping in THF solution at once. • A larger active surface decorated GC provides more accessible binding sites. This work describes the preparation and application of micropatterned molecular imprinting in conductive polymer film for the detection of diclofenac molecules. A fast and cost-effective technique for generating nanostructured polymer on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by combining nanosphere lithography (NSL) and electrochemical polymerization is reported. Firstly, GCE is modified by a close-packed monolayer of polystyrene (PS) spheres sized 500 nm in diameter, which subsequently serves as a template for the electrochemical deposition of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) accompanied by diclofenac (DCF). The functional monomers of 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene (EDOT) were electropolymerized in the presence of sodium diclofenac (DCF-Na) as a target molecule to prepare a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrode. After dissolving PS and DCF-templated molecules simultaneously in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent, the micropatterned structure of PEDOT is generated on the GCE surface. This as-prepared MIP surface is applied to test the recognition of DCF molecules in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution. Good linearity of peak current recorded by differential pulse voltammograms (DVP) after exposure to different DCF concentrations was obtained with a limit of detection (LOD) of 77.5 nM. The sensitivity of the as-prepared MIP electrode is 5 times larger than that of the control electrode made by non-molecular imprinted polymer (NIP). It opens a pathway to significantly improve the sensitivity and the quality of conventional electrochemical sensors for the detection of Diclofenac.

Robust poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) granules loaded Cu/Ni-doped Pd catalysts for high-efficiency electrooxidation of ethylene glycol

In our work, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) granules supported Cu/Ni-doped Pd electrocatalysts (PdCu/PEDOT and PdNi/PEDOT) were synthesized for ethylene glycol (EG) oxidation in alkaline medium. The amorphous PEDOT granules as the catalyst supports provide plenty of attachment sites for PdCu and PdNi nanoparticles. The optimized Pd1Cu3/PEDOT and Pd7Ni3/PEDOT catalysts both perform superior mass-based activity, area-based activity and intrinsic activity for EG oxidation as compared to other control samples. Moreover, chronoamperometry and long-term cyclic voltammetry tests demonstrate that the Pd1Cu3/PEDOT catalyst performs optimal anti-poisoning capability and catalytic durability. The outstanding electrocatalytic performance can be attributed to the favourable dispersion of Pd1Cu3 and Pd7Ni3 nanoparticles on the PEDOT granules and the synergistic effects between Pd, Cu/Ni atoms and the electron-rich conjugated structure of PEDOT. In summary, this work synthesized two Pd/PEDOT-based electrocatalysts with promising catalytic application prospect in direct ethylene glycol fuel cell (DEGFC), which may provide some theoretical support for the design and synthesis of competent electrocatalysts for DEGFC.