Electrochemical synthesis of conjugated copolymer poly(3-hexylthiophene-co-dithenopyrrole): Stepwise approach to enhance electro-optical properties

Abstract

Electrochemical polymerisation of 3-hexylthiophene (3HT) and electrochemical copolymerisation of 3HT and N-benzoyl dithienopyrrole (BDP) were performed to prepare polymer and copolymer films using a linear sweep voltammetry potentiostatic technique with a voltage range from 1.7-1.8 V and a scan rate of 0.1 mV/s. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, and UV-Vis absorption spectra of the polymer and copolymer were recorded for analysis and comparison of the electropolymerisation process and properties of the resultant films. The SEM photographs of the copolymer base on 3HT and BDP exhibited a rigid structure with large spherical aggregates with an average size around 200 nm. The copolymer of 3HT and BDP exhibited the band gaps of 2.25 eV which was determined via electrochemical measurement that is higher than of band gaps of homopolymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). The copolymer’s energy bandgap HOMO-LUMO was enhanced compared to polymer P3HT. Moreover, the increased conjugation length significantly improved the morphology structure as well as the electrochemical stability of the conjugated copolymer.