HREELS study of ultra-thin polyaniline films grown on Cu(110) by vapor deposition of aniline tetramers

The physical and chemical properties of polyaniline thin films produced by vapor deposition of aniline tetramers on a Cu(110) substrate have been inve stigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). HREELS spectra showed that aniline tetramers are stable on the Cu(110) surf ace and do not react to form longer chains. Tetramer films doped with HCl e xhibited HREEL spectra with features characteristic of a semiconductor. The physical properties of the tetramer films have also been compared to those of films grown by exposing Cu(110) to aniline oligomers produced via pyrol ysis of bulk emeraldine. Those films exhibit thickness-dependent changes re lated to reactivity of the vapor with the surface and metallic spectral fea tures upon doping with HCl. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reser ved.