ELECTROSYNTHESES OF FREE-STANDING POLY(THIOPHENE-3-ACETIC ACID) FILM IN MIXED ELECTROLYTES OF BORON TRIFLUORIDE DIETHYL ETHERATE AND TRIFLUOROACETIC ACID

High quality free-standing poly(thiophene-3-acetic acid) (PTAA), a water-soluble polythiophene derivative, was successfully electrosynthesized in boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) + 25% (by volume) trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) at lower potential (0.38 V versus Pt). The carboxyl group makes PTAA highly soluble in water, facilitating its potential application as a blue-light-emitting material. PTAA films with conductivity of 7 S cm-1 obtained from this medium showed better redox activity and thermal stability. The structure and morphology of the polymer were studied by UV-Vis, FT-IR, 1H-NMR spectra and scanning electron microscopy, respectively.