SYNTHESIS OF ORGANIC ELECTROACTIVE MATERIALS IN IONIC LIQUIDS - Electrochemical Nanofabrication: Principles and Applications - page 124

Figure 3.3 Changes in the in situ FTIR-ATR spectra obtained in the

wavenumber range 1600-700 cm during electropolymerization of 0.1M

EDOT in the ionic liquid [BMIM][BF

−1

]. Potential cycling was performed
between -0.95 and +1.3 V using a 50 mV/s scan rate. IR spectra were
recorded at the end of each scan at about −0.95 V. Reprinted from
J. Electroanal. Chem.,

4

570 , Damlin, P., Kvarnström, C., and Ivaska, A.,

Electrochemical spectroelectrochemical

characterization of poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene)(PEDOT) in room
temperature ionic liquids, 113-122, Copyright (2004), with permission
from Elsevier.

synthesis and in situ

N] in
polymerization of PTh [61]. They studied polymerization of three
different monomers: thiophene, bithiophene, and terthiophene. All
the three monomers were polymerized both in [EMIM][Tf

Pringle et al. used [EMIM][Tf N] and [BMP][Tf

2 2

N] and

2

in [BMP][Tf N]. The polymers showed enhanced electrochemical

activity. The polymer made in [BMP][Tf

2

N] had, however, a smoother
surface than the polymers electrosynthesized in the imidazolium-
based IL. The polymer growth rate was faster in [EMIM][Tf

2

N] since

2

it is less viscous than [BMP][Tf N] and was explained by faster

reaction kinetics at the electrode. The type of the monomer also
influenced the structure of the final PTh. It was observed that with
increasing monomer size the relative conjugation length as well as
the impact of the IL on the electropolymerization process decreased.

2