CONDUCTIVE FILMS OF TETRATHIAFULVALENE DICARBOXYLATE CATION RADICALS AND POLY(VINYL ALCOHOL) FORMED BY CASTING

Aqueous solutions of dipotassium tetrathiafulvalene dicarboxylate (1), potassium ferricyanide and poly(vinyl alcohol) were used to cast air- stable, flexible and electrically conductive films. Casting at 80-95 d egrees C formed a network of microcrystals oriented in the film plane. Spectroscopic studies showed that these crystals contain pi-stacks of the cation radical 1(+). No evidence for mixed valence stacks was fou nd. A film containing 5 wt.% of 1(+) in PVA had a four-point conductiv ity sigma=10(-2) S cm(-1) in the film plane. The structural anisotropy led to a lower conductivity (10(-4) S cm(-1)) across the plane of the film.