Regular poly(para-phenylene) films bound to gold surfaces through the electrochemical reduction of diazonium salts followed by electropolymerization in an ionic liquid

Stéphanie Descroix (1) , Géraldine Hallais (2) , Corinne Lagrost (3) , Jean Pinson (4, 5)

1 PCC - Physico-Chimie-Curie
2 Alchimer
3 ISCR - Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes
4 PECSA - Physicochimie des Electrolytes, Colloïdes et Sciences Analytiques
5 ITODYS (UMR_7086) - Interfaces, Traitements, Organisation et Dynamique des Systèmes

By combining the electroreduction of diazonium salts and the electropolymerization of conducting polymers in an ionic liquid, the electrografting of a regular poly(para-phenylene) film on a gold substrate is achieved, leading to the strong and robust anchoring of the PPP polymers on the substrate (Au-PPP hybrid). A thin layer covalently bound to the substrate is first prepared by the reduction of benzenediazonium salt (BD), then, on top of this layer, a thicker layer of poly(para-phenylene) (PPP) is easily grown by the electrochemical oxidation of biphenyl in the [BMIm][PF6] ionic liquid. The resulting material is thoroughly characterized by IR, ToF-SIMS and fluorescence spectroscopies. The analyses show the formation of well regular PPP layers that are wired to the substrate. The key role of the [BMIm][PF6] ionic liquid in the structuration of the polymer is emphasized.

Keywords: Surface; Electrografting; Diazonium; Polyparaphenylene

Domains: Chemical Sciences; Organic chemistry

Stéphanie Descroix, Géraldine Hallais, Corinne Lagrost, Jean Pinson. Regular poly(para-phenylene) films bound to gold surfaces through the electrochemical reduction of diazonium salts followed by electropolymerization in an ionic liquid. Electrochimica Acta, 2013, 106, pp.172-180. ⟨10.1016/j.electacta.2013.05.063⟩. ⟨hal-00841286⟩