Low potential electrochemical synthesis of polyfuran and characterization of the obtained free-standing film

A free-standing polyfuran (PFu) film has been successfully synthesized by e lectrochemical polymerization of furan at low potential (1.2 V vs Ag/AgCl) in a binary solvent system consisting of boron trifluoride-ethyl ether (BFE E) and additional ethyl ether (EE). The obtained polymer contains much less ring-opened component and shows higher conductivity than that prepared by chemical method or by electropolymerization in other solvent systems. Its e lectric conductivity is as high as 10(-2) S cm(-1) both in its electrochemi cally doped state and chemically doped slate with I-2. Moreover, the obtain ed free-standing film shows good mechanical properties, which makes itself a powerful competitor to other conducting polymers. The orientation of PFu deposited on Au and stainless steel electrode was investigated by surface e nhanced Raman spectra (SERS) and reflection-absorption infrared spect;ra (R A-IR) techniques. The furan ring in the polymer chain is inclined to be arr anged parallel to the metal surface at the early stage of deposition.