OXIDATION OF PI-CONJUGATED POLYMERS WITH GOLD TRICHLORIDE - ENHANCED STABILITY OF THE ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTING STATE AND ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF AU(0)
Msa. Abdou et S. Holdcroft, OXIDATION OF PI-CONJUGATED POLYMERS WITH GOLD TRICHLORIDE - ENHANCED STABILITY OF THE ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTING STATE AND ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF AU(0), Synthetic metals, 60(2), 1993, pp. 93-96
Oxidative doping of thin pi-conjugated polymer films using acetonitril
e solutions of gold trichloride yields electronically conductive polym
ers (15 OMEGA-1 cm-1) containing the AuCl4- counter ion. Thin oxidized
films containing AuCl4-counter ions are orders of magnitude more stab
le in ambient atmosphere at 25-degrees-C than polymers oxidized using
conventional oxidants such as iron trichloride. Oxidation of polymer f
ilms using solutions of AuCl3 in nitromethane results in electroless d
eposition of zero-valent gold in addition to formation of AuCl4--doped
polymer. Thick films (> 1 mum) afford growth of a homogeneous and con
tinuous metallic layer on top of the polymer film. As a result, conduc
tivities of the metal/polymer bilayers are as high as 11 000 OMEGA-1 c
m-1. Mechanisms of oxidative doping and deposition of gold metal are d
escribed.