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Radiation‐Induced Synthesis of Nanostructured Conjugated Polymers in Aqueous Solution: Fundamental Effect of Oxidizing Species
Author(s) -
Lattach Youssef,
Coletta Cecilia,
Ghosh Srabanti,
Remita Samy
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201300915
Subject(s) - pedot:pss , radical , aqueous solution , polymer , polymerization , photochemistry , stabiliser , conjugated system , oxidizing agent , chemistry , radiolysis , polymer chemistry , materials science , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , engineering
Synthesis of conjugated poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) polymers is achieved through the radiolysis of N 2 O‐saturated aqueous solutions of 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene by using two different oxidizing species: HO . (hydroxyl) and N 3 . (azide) radicals. Both oxidative species lead to self‐assembled polymers that are evidenced in solution by cryotransmission electron microscopy and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy and, after centrifugation and deposition, by scanning electron microscopy and attenuated total reflectance FTIR techniques. Whereas HO . radicals lead to PEDOT‐OH globular nanostructures with hydrophilic properties, N 3 . radicals enable the formation of amphiphilic PEDOT‐N 3 fibrillar nanostructures. These results, which highlight the differences in the intermolecular interaction behaviors of the two kinds of PEDOT polymers, are discussed in terms of polymerization mechanisms.