S. Glenis et al., ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS AND ELECTRONIC-PROPERTIES OF POLY(3,4-DIBUTYL-ALPHA-TERTHIOPHENE), Synthetic metals, 75(3), 1995, pp. 213-221
Electrochemically prepared poly(3,4-dibutyl-alpha-terthiophene) has be
en investigated and the relationship between the electronic properties
, the chemical structure of the monomer and the electrolyte used durin
g the electropolymerization was studied. Doping studies were carried o
ut with various electrolytes. We have electrochemically oxidized (p-do
ping) and reduced (n-doping) thin films of this polymer on platinum el
ectrode under the same electrochemical conditions. We find that the fi
lms show a reversible oxidation wave yielding an electrically conducti
ng polymer and a reversible reduction wave which is sensitive to the n
ature of the electrolyte. A value for the band gap derived electrochem
ically compares well with that obtained by optical absorption measurem
ents and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrical conductivity
varies by 10(12) S cm(-1) between the doped and undoped states of the
polymer. The temperature-independent magnetic susceptibility above 10
0 K is consistent with the conducting properties of this polymer. The
electrochemically prepared material is compared with the chemically pr
epared one using the same monomer.