Hl. Bandey et al., IN-SITU ELECTRON-SPIN-RESONANCE STUDY OF N-DOPING AND P-DOPING OF POLYTERTHIOPHENE, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 142(7), 1995, pp. 2111-2118
Electropolymerized poly(terthiophene) (PTT) films on Pt electrodes hav
e been studied using in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscop
y. ESR spectra were acquired as a function of doping level for both p-
and n-doping of PTT films exposed to tetraethylammonium tetrafluorobo
rate/CH3CN solutions. Within the accessible potential range, the maxim
um n-doping level is y approximate to 0.1, ca. 40% of the maximum p-do
ping level. At low p- and n-doping levels, radicals are generated appr
oximately linearly with injected charge, although the spin:charge rati
o is substantially below unity Linewidths indicate these spins to be m
obile. At high p-doping levels, the ESR signal intensity decreases and
the linewidth increases; we interpret this in terms of metallic chara
cteristics. Following p-doping, nominally undoped films contain trappe
d radicals, which are removed on subsequent p- or n-doping. Throughout
, g values indicate little or no participation of the heteroatom orbit
als. For the thin films studied here no skin effects are observed.