Conductive Electroactive Polymers molecular structure

Rapid advances in synthetic polymer science and nanotechnology have now placed us in a position to utilize the unique properties of this versatile class of materials. Our ability to design and assemble polymers from the molecular level, coupled with a better understanding of structure-property relationships enables the design of sophisticated structures. We believe that inherently conducting electroactive polymers (CEPs) will continue to play a central role in the development of intelligent material science over the following decades. 

In the development and fabrication of molecular-based electronics, it is essential to have a good understanding of the chemistry and electronic struemre of the electroactive polymer interface with other polymers, semi-conductors and metals. A better understanding of the CT interactions at the polymer/metal interface will also facilitate the application of conductive polymer coatings for metal passivation and corrosion prevention [268]. An overview of measurement methods and quantum chemical calculation techniques for smdying the chemical and electronic structure of conjugated... 

Through a comprehensive review of the recent conductive polymer literature, it has been demonstrated that photoelectron spectroscopy provides a very unique and powerful tool for analyzing the intrinsic structure, the charge transfer interaction, and the stability and degradation behaviour of electroactive polymers. It is further demonstrated that photoelectron spectroscopy is also ideal for investigating the chemistry and electronic structure of the electroactive polymer interface with other polymers, semi-conductors, and metals. The surface and interfacial analytical capability of photoelectron spectroscopy can be further extended to include molecular specificity when coupled with the SIMS technique. Finally, the imaging XPS technique is fast becoming widely available [368]. 

In this chapter, the application of this technique to the thin film processing of electroactive polymers is discussed. The fabrication of controlled molecular assemblies of electroactive polymers provides a unique opportunity to investigate the structure-property and structure-function relationships of multilayer thin films containing electrically conductive, optically nonlinear and redox active polymers. These assemblies can also be coupled to appropriate solid supports for application in such molecular electronic devices as ultrathin electrodes and transistors, opticd waveguides and switches, and chemical and biochemical microelectronic sensors. 

The LB technique is well suited for Ae preparation of complex molecular assemblies of functionally distinct electroactive molecules and it is to be expected that the creation of such structures will be pursued as this area matures. The first steps toward the realization of functionalized molecular assemblies of conducting polymers have been taken by Skotheim s research group. They have demonstrated, for example, that it is possible to manipulate mixed monolayer films containing an electroactive ferrocene functionalized pyrrole derivative[17]. The ferrocene-daivatized pyrrole (Fc-Py) molecule consists of a pyrrole head group at one end of a 12 carbon aliphatic chain and a hydroxyl ferrocene group at the opposite end as shown in Scheme 6. 

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