REDOX REACTION AT THE 2-LAYER INTERFACE BETWEEN ALUMINUM AND ELECTROPOLYMERIZED POLY(3-METHYLTHIOPHENE) THIN SOLID FILMS

The corrosion of an aluminum (Al) layer vacuum-deposited onto the elec tropolymerized poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT) film grown on the gold e lectrode was studied by visible absorption, ESR spectroscopy and XPS a nd by SEM analysis from the viewpoint of the redox reaction in the dar k at the two-layer interface between Al and PMeT for the Al/doped PMeT /Au sandwich cell. The electrochemical undoping of the perchlorate ani ons from a PMeT induced a remarkable suppression of the redox reaction at the two-layer interface leading to avoid a corrosion of Al electro de vacuum-deposited onto the PMeT film. It was suggested that the rect ifying and photovoltaic effects for the Au/undoped PMeT/Al sandwich ce ll might be explained under the light of the redox reaction between Al and PMeT under biased voltage and under photo-illumination, respectiv ely. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.