AC-Bipolar Electropolymerization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene in Ionic Liquids

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 39; no. 12; pp. 4450 - 4455
• Main Authors: Chen, Zhenghao, Zhou, Yaqian, Villani, Elena, Shida, Naoki, Tomita, Ikuyoshi, Inagi, Shinsuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 28.03.2023
• Subjects: acetonitrile; electric field; ionic liquids; polymerization
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00120

Recently, alternating current (AC)-bipolar electropolymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) has been reported to produce poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) fibers from the terminals of bipolar electrodes in acetonitrile solution (MeCN) containing low concentrations of supporting salts in a template-free manner. Here, we extend such methodology in ionic liquid (IL) media. Three kinds of ILs, diethylmethyl­(2-methoxyethyl)­ammonium tetrafluoroborate ([DEME]­[BF4]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM]­[BF4]), and diethylmethyl­(2-methoxyethyl)­ammonium bis­(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)­imide ([DEME]­[TFSI]), with different electric field transmission efficiencies and diffusion coefficients were employed as solvents for the AC-bipolar electropolymerization of EDOT. A variety of PEDOT morphologies were obtained in these three ILs, showing a relationship with the physicochemical properties of the ILs. We successfully confirmed the growth of PEDOT fibers in ILs and systematically discussed the factors that influenced their growth.