Effects of polymerization media on the nanoscale conductivity and current-voltage characteristics of chemically synthesized polyaniline films

A current sensing atomic force microscope (CS-AFM) was used to probe the conducting homogeneity and band structures of fully doped polyaniline (PANI) films prepared from in situ chemical polymerization/deposition of aniline on indium tin oxide in various inorganic acids. The charge transport properties of PANI films depend on the film thickness as well as polymerization medium. Fluctuations in conductivity are observed on all acid-doped PANI films and the conducting homogeneity was dependent on the film thickness: the conductivity of thick film is more uniform. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of all thick (>200 nm) films displayed a metal-like behavior and conductivity as high as 40 S/cm was detected in high conducting regions of film thicker than 400 nm. Whereas thin (<120 nm) films revealed insulating, semiconducting, and semimetal conducting, wide distribution in conductivity and interband distances (estimated from the I-V ordI/dV-V curves) was found. The interband distances is 0-1.35, 0-1.0, and 0-0.78 eV for thin PANI film prepared from HCl(aq), HClO(4)(aq), and H2SO4(aq), respectively. PANI film (260 nm) prepared from H2SO4(aq) revealed fiberlike morphology, and compared to PANI films prepared from HCl(aq) and HClO4(aq) with similar thickness, it has higher average nanoscale conductivity but lower bulk conductivity. This result could be direct evidence which supports that the bulk conductivity of PANI depended on the carriers hopping between the conducting domains.     

Pentanary cross-diffusion in water-in-oil microemulsions loaded with two components of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

We measure cross-diffusion coefficients in a five-component system, an aerosol OT (AOT) water-in-oil microemulsion loaded with two constituents of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction (H(2) O/AOT/BZ1/BZ2/octane). The species BZ1 is either NaBr, an inhibitor of the BZ reaction, or ferroin, a catalyst for the reaction. As species BZ2, we choose Br(2) , an intermediate in the reaction. The cross-diffusion coefficients between BZ1 and BZ2 are found to be negative, which can be understood in terms of complexation between these species. Using a four-variable model for the BZ reaction, we find that the cross-diffusion coefficients measured here can lead to a noticeable shift in the onset of Turing instability in the BZ-AOT system.     

Oxidation state of BZ reaction mixtures

The unstirred, ferroin (Fe(phen)(3)2+)-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction1-4 is the prototype oscillatory chemical system. After an induction period of several minutes, one sees "spontaneous" formation of "pacemaker" sites, which oscillate between a blue, oxidized state (high [Fe(phen)3(3+)]) and a red, reduced state (low [Fe(phen)(3)3+]). The reaction medium appears red (reduced) during the induction phase, and the pacemaker sites generate target patterns of concentric, outwardly moving waves of oxidation (blue). Auto-oscillatory behavior is also seen in the Oregonator model of Field, Kor?s, and Noyes (FKN), a robust, reduced model which captures qualitative BZ kinetics in the auto-oscillatory regime. However, the Oregonator model predicts a blue (oxidized) induction phase. Here, we show that including reaction R8 of the FKN mechanism, not incorporated in the original Oregonator, accounts for bromide release during the induction phase, thus producing the observed red oxidation state.     

A comparative study on the viscoelasticity and morphology of polyaniline films galvanostatically grown on bare and 4-aminothiophenol-modified gold electrodes using an electrochemical quartz crystal impedance system and SEM.

The equivalent-circuit parameters of the 9-MHz piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) resonance were measured in situ during the galvanostatic polymerization of aniline on 4-aminothiophenol(4-ATP)-modified and bare Au electrodes for ca. 2000 s, respectively. Two polymerization media, 0.100 mol L-1 aniline in 1.0 mol L-1 H2SO4 and in 2.0 mol L-1 HClO4 aqueous solutions, and two values of the current density, 12 and 36 microA cm-2, were used. At identical levels of the resonant frequency shifts in the solutions, obviously greater increases in the motional resistance (R1) were found after aniline polymerization on bare Au electrodes, though the absolute values of delta f0/delta R1 were all large; also, the resonant frequency shifts in air (delta f0g) were considerably smaller for PANI films grown on bare Au electrodes. It is thus concluded that, under identical polymerization conditions, (1) the PANI film grown on a bare gold electrode is rougher, less compact, and can entrap solution more notably; (2) the deposition efficiency of PANI is higher on a 4-ATP-modified Au electrode, owing to a significantly greater observed "dry" frequency shift, and thus a greater "net" mass value of the polyaniline backbone. SEM observations have confirmed that PANI films on 4-ATP-modified Au electrodes were smoother and more compact than those grown on bare Au ones under identical polymerization conditions. In addition, a technique of simultaneous measurements of the electroacoustic admittance of the PQC resonance and the electrochemical impedance was used to monitor the adsorption of 4-ATP onto a PQC gold electrode.     

Coexistence of two bifurcation regimes in a closed ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was studied in a batch reactor under anaerobic conditions and was found to evolve through two separated regimes of complex oscillations. Significantly, the two bifurcation regimes exhibited qualitatively different dependence on compositions of the reaction mixture, i.e., initial concentrations of bromate, sulfuric acid, malonic acid, and ferroin. The reaction temperature also showed opposite effects on the two bifurcation regimes, in which complexities of the first bifurcation regime were enhanced while oscillations in the second bifurcation regime became simpler as a result of decreasing temperature. Numerical simulations with a 12-variable model developed specifically for the ferroin-BZ system were able to reproduce transient complex oscillations observed in experiments. These calculations further illustrated that reactions such as ferroin and HOBr, ferroin and HBrO2, and ferriin and Br- were not essential in describing complex dynamics of the ferroin-BZ reaction.     

Flow-induced patterning of Langmuir monolayers

Insoluble monolayers on water have been patterned at the macroscopic scale (i.e., at the centimeter scale of the flow apparatus) as well as the mesoscopic scale (i.e., down to the micron scale resolvable via optical microscopy). The macroscopic patterning at the air/water interface results from a hydrodynamic instability leading to a steadily precessing flow pattern. The velocity field is measured, and the associated shear stress at the interface is shown to be locally amplified by the flow pattern. The resulting hydrodynamic effects on two different monolayer systems are explored: (1) the pattern in a model monolayer consisting of micron-size, surface-bound particles is visualized to show that the particles are concentrated into isolated regions of converging flow with high shear, and (2) Brewster angle microscopy of a Langmuir monolayer (vitamin K1) shows not only that the monolayer is patterned at the macroscopic scale but also that the localized high-shear flow further patterns the monolayer at the mesoscale.     

Bromide control, bifurcation and activation in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The unstirred, ferroin (Fe(phen)3(2+)) catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is the prototype oscillatory chemical system. Reaction media with added Br(-) appear red (reduced, low [Fe(phen)3(3+)]) during an induction period of several minutes, followed by the "spontaneous" formation of "pacemaker" sites, which oscillate between a blue, oxidized state (high [Fe(phen)3(3+)]) and the red, reduced state and generate target patterns of concentric, outwardly moving waves of oxidation (blue). Auto-oscillatory behavior is also seen in the Oregonator model of Field, Koros and Noyes (FKN), a robust, reduced model that captures qualitative BZ kinetics in the auto-oscillatory regime. However, the Oregonator model predicts a blue (oxidized) induction phase. Here we develop a generalized Oregonator-like model with no explicit bifurcation parameter that yields the observed transition from a red initial state to oscillatory dynamics, and displays a new bifurcation mechanism not seen in the original Oregonator.     

On the problem of “mysterious” adducts in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The formation of an adduct betweeno-phenanthroline and bromine, a feasible intermediate in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction (BZ) catalyzed by ferroin, was studied. The stability constant of the adduct was determined. One of the assumptions on the composition of the “red precipitate,” the substance to which several differences between the behavior of the ferroin and cerium BZ reactions are due, was confirmed.     

Facilitated sulfate transfer across the nitrobenzene-water interface as mediated by hydrogen-bonding ionophores.

Facilitated SO4(2-) transfers by hydrogen bond-forming ionophores are investigated across the nitrobenzene (NB)-water interface by using polarography with a dropping electrolyte electrode. Bis-thiourea 1, alpha,alpha'-bis(N'-p-nitrophenylthioureylene)-m-xylene, is found to significantly facilitate the transfer of the highly hydrophilic SO4(2-) whereas its counterpart, N-(p-nitrophenyl)-N'-propylthiourea (ionophore 2), cannot. In contrast to the predominant formation of a 1:1 complex with SO4(2-) in the bulk NB phase, the SO4(2-) transfer assisted by 1 is indeed based on the formation of a 1:2 complex between SO4(2-) and ionophore, even under the condition of [SO4(2-)]aq > [1]org. Such an exclusive formation of the 1:2 (SO4(2-) to ionophore) complex at the NB-water interface is not observed with structurally similar bis-thiourea 3, alpha,alpha'-bis(N'-phenylthioureylene)-m-xylene, where p-nitrophenyl moietes of bis-thiourea 1 are simply replaced by phenyl groups. The facilitated transfer of SO4(2-) with bis-thiourea 1 is further compared to that of HPO4(2-) and H2PO4- across the NB-water interface, which was previously shown to be assisted by 1 through the formation of the 1:1 and 2:1 (anion to ionophore) complexes, respectively. On the basis of these examinations, unique binding behaviors of hydrogen bond-forming ionophores at the NB-water interface are discussed, with a view towards development of ionophore-based anion-selective chemical sensors.     

硫酸盐水合物催化下的酯化反应 I: 反应级数,活化能及催化剂活性的测定

The order of esterification reaction of acetic acid and ethanol catalyzed by Fe2(SO4)3.7H2O and CusO4.5H2O has been determined. The reaction order was found to be 2 with respect to acid and ethanol with constant quantities of catalysts. The activity of catalysts can be expressed by Ym value, which is different from catalyst to catalyst. For Fe2(SO4)3.7H2O, Cr2(SO4)3.6H2O, CuSO4.kH2O, NiSO4.7H2O, ZnSO4.7H2O, CoSO4.7H2O, FeSO4.7H2O and MnSO4.5H2O the Ym values are 1.52, 1.21, 0.62, 0.42, 0.47, 0.25, 0.10 and 0.00 respectively. A linear relationship of Ym with the fraction of the second ionization potentiol (P) over radius (r) of metal ion of sulphate salts was found to be Ym=α(P/γ)+b.     

Predominance-zone diagrams of Fe(III) and Fe(II) sulfate complexes in acidic media. Voltammetric and spectrophotometric studies

A thermodynamic study based on concepts of generalized species and equilibria, was used to understand the distribution of Fe(III) and Fe(II) species in the Fe(III)/Fe(II)/H(2)SO(4)/H(2)O system. The two-dimensional predominance zone diagrams (TDPZ) and Pourbaix type diagrams thus obtained permitted the selection of optimum experimental conditions, to differentiate the chemical species involved in this system. The existence of the different predominant chemical species for Fe(III): Fe(3+), FeSO(+)(4) and Fe(SO(4))(-)(2) was evidenced by spectrophotometrical studies for pSO'(4) values from 4 to 0 units in a buffered solution of pH 0.5. Additionally, voltammetric studies performed on Pt, Au and carbon paste electrodes confirmed that the electron exchange between Fe(III) Fe(II) in H(2)SO(4) media occurs by an inner Helmholtz layer mechanism. It was also possible to show that the representative couples at pSO'(4) = 0 (buffered) are: (a) for pH < 0 FeSO (+)(4)FeHSO (+)(4) and (b) for pH > 1.0: Fe(SO (4)) (-)(2)FeHSO (+)(4). The last couple presents a coupled chemical reaction in the electrochemical mechanism; this reaction is associated with the different coordination numbers of Fe(III) and Fe(II).     

Polyaniline film deposition from the oxidative polymerization of aniline using K2Cr2O7

The deposition of the polyaniline (PANI) films was monitored using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. The films were grown from an aqueous dilute hydrochloric acid solution by the chemical oxidation of aniline using potassium dichromate (KDC). The effect of the initial molar ratio of the KDC/aniline on the yield and the growth rate of the PANI films were studied. There is no optimum initial molar ratio of KDC/aniline of PANI film deposition. Also there was a small depletion period and no degradation to the deposited PANI films. The order of the polymerization kinetics was studied with respect to KDC. The UV-visible spectra of the PANI films grown onto a glass support immersed into the bulk solution were measured. The absorption of the PANI film with the time of polymerization was compared to the growth of the PANI film thickness with time determined from the QCM technique. The characteristics of the PANI film deposition were compared to the corresponding ones that were observed during the oxidative polymerization of aniline with ammonium persulphate (APS).     

在线紫外-可见光谱研究ITO导电玻璃电极上苯胺与对苯二胺的电化学共聚及其产物的表征

本文用在线紫外-可见光谱电化学的方法较详细地研究了在0.5M硫酸水溶液中苯胺、对苯二胺以及苯胺与对苯二胺混合体系在ITO导电玻璃电极上的电化学聚合和共聚合的过程。苯胺与对苯二胺在ITO导电玻璃上发生了电化学共聚合,在0.5M硫酸水溶液的纯苯胺和苯胺与对苯二胺共聚时的循环伏安曲线以及其对应的在线紫外-可见光谱表明对苯二胺的加入除了发生共聚外,也使聚合的速率明显加快;而且纯苯胺在循环伏安电化学聚合时在430nm处出现的吸收带因对苯二胺的加入而消失,说明对苯二胺的加入使聚合的机理与纯苯胺的聚合机理有明显不同,主要原因是苯胺产生的反应中间体可能很快与对苯二胺的阳离子自由基反应聚合。在导电玻璃ITO上的聚合物膜的反射傅立叶红外光谱表明,对苯二胺的加入可能产生了具有1,2取代模式结构,这说明了对苯二胺结合进入到聚合物中。这种共聚使得产物的表面形貌也发生了变化,聚合物扫描电镜图表明对笨二胺的加入有利于纤维状的表面形貌产生,纤维的直径可达到50nm粗细;同时用在线紫外-可见光谱研究了纯聚苯胺和共聚物随电位变化的电变色性质,结果表明在0v-0.6v之间共聚物与纯聚苯胺的在线紫外-可见光谱有明显的不同,且共聚物的电变色可逆性比纯聚苯胺好;同时SEM图也表明在0.8v电位下聚苯胺和共聚物表面形貌发生了团聚。     

原位紫外-可见光谱和电化学方法研究苯胺聚合过程中的降解

用电化学及光谱电化学研究了硫酸溶液中苯胺在玻碳电极上的聚合降解过程 ,在 - 0 2～ 1 0V电位范围 ,循环伏安图显示了四对氧化还原峰 .通过比较聚苯胺 (PAn)膜在硫酸空白溶液和含对氨基苯酚 (PAP)的硫酸溶液中的循环伏安曲线及电化学聚合时溶液的紫外 可见吸收光谱 ,证明了PAn膜的降解产物PAP的存在 ,同时原位现场紫外 可见吸收光谱法初步研究了苯胺聚合降解的动力学过程 .     

The kinetics and spectral studies of the in situ polyaniline film formation

The chemical oxidation of aniline with ammonium persulfate (APS) in an aqueous acidic solution to form polyaniline (PANI) films has been studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. The kinetics of the film formation was investigated. The reaction exhibited half-order with respect to APS and first-order to aniline. The effect of temperature on the growth rate of PANI films was studied. The activation energy is 39.79 kJ/mol. This is in agreement with the corresponding one determined for the chemical polymerization of PANI in the bulk. The UV-visible spectra of the PANI films grown onto a glass support immersed into the bulk solution were measured. The absorption of the PANI film with time was also studied and compared to the growth of the PANI film thickness using the QCM technique.     

Peroxidase-catalyzed in situ polymerization of surface orientated caffeic acid

Nanoscale surface patterning and polymerization of caffeic acid on 4-aminothiophenol-functionalized gold surfaces has been demonstrated with dip pen nanolithography (DPN). The diphenolic moiety of caffeic acid can be polymerized by biocatalysis with laccase or horseradish peroxidase. In the present study, the DPN patterned features were polymerized in situ through the use of the peroxidase. Using samples prepared by DPN, microcontact printing, and adsorption on macroscopic substrates, the products were characterized by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), MALDI-TOF, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis, and FT-IR. The in situ surface polymerization resulted in the formation of a quinone structure, while the phenyl ester formed in bulk polymerization reactions was not detected. A different coupling site was observed when comparing the polymers obtained from solution (bulk) vs the surface DPN reactions. The structural differences were attributed to surface-induced pre-organization and orientation of the monomers prior to the enzymatic polymerization step. The results of this study expand the application of DPN technology to surface modification and surface chemistry reactions wherein stereo-regularity and regioselectivity can be exploited.     

一些无机盐对甲烷的液相选择催化氧化

考察了无机盐Ｃｒ２（ＳＯ４）３，ＣｄＳＯ４，ＦｅＳＯ４，ＶＯＳＯ４，Ｃｅ（ＳＯ４）２，ＭｎＳＯ４，ＳｎＣｌ４和ＨｇＳＯ４在浓硫酸介质中对甲烷的催化活性，发现ＭｎＳＯ４，ＳｎＣｌ４和ＨｇＳＯ４对甲烷氧化有活性，在此基础上考察了ＨｇＳＯ４体系中气液体积比，温度，浓度，反应时间以及硫酸浓度地反应活性的影响，认为反应按亲电取代反应机理进行。     

Nanostructured aniline oxidation products: self-assembled films at the air/liquid interface

With the use of the "falling pH" approach, the free floating films obtained at the air/liquid interface during aniline oxidative polymerization in the presence of hydrochloric acid have been reported and characterized for the first time. The surface of the films is compact and consists of small densely packed particles (around 10-20 nm in diameter). In addition to the free floating films the precipitation of various self-assembled nanostructures was also observed. The thickness of the films depends on the concentration of the reactants and ranges from 40 to 50 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy results imply that 3D nanostructures are physically adsorbed onto the film and that they represent two separated phases. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV-vis measurements have confirmed the presence of polyaniline and branched oligoanilines. On the basis of an orientation distribution of H(2)O and aniline molecules at the air/liquid interface and with the use of the cooperative effect of hydrogen-bond formation, a mechanism for film growth has been proposed. Three samples are synthesized in the presence of different acids-nitric, sulfuric, and acetic. The SEM and FTIR data showed similar morphologies and structural characteristics. This implies that the morphology and structure of the final products depend on the acidity conditions (pH) during the reaction rather than on the nature of the dopant acid.     

Uptake and surface reaction of methanol by sulfuric acid solutions investigated by vibrational sum frequency generation and Raman spectroscopies

The uptake of methanol at the air-liquid interface of 0-96.5 wt % sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solutions has been observed directly using vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy. As the concentration of H2SO4 increases, the VSFG spectra reveal a surface reaction between methanol and H2SO4 to form methyl hydrogen sulfate. The surface is saturated with the methyl species after 15 min. The uptake of methyl species into the solutions by Raman spectroscopy was also observed and occurred on a much longer time scale. This suggests that uptake of methanol by sulfuric acid solutions is diffusion-limited.     

Preparation and characterization of polyaniline/manganese dioxide composites and their catalytic activity

This paper is devoted to the preparation of polyaniline/MnO2 (PANI/MnO2) composites via chemical oxidation of aniline in H2SO4 medium using beta-MnO2 as an oxidant. The parameters affecting the polymerization reaction are considered. These parameters are [aniline], amount of beta-MnO2, stirring time, and polymerization temperature. SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and TGA techniques are used to characterize the resulting composites. XRD measurements reveal the distortion of the crystal structure of beta-MnO2 after the polymerization reaction. Thus, the XRD pattern of PANI is predominating. The crystalline composites are obtained using higher molar ratio of [Ox]/[ANI] and at higher temperature. Increasing the amount of beta-MnO2 led to an increase in the acidic character of the obtained composites due to adsorption of excess H+ on the oxide surface. The thermal stability of the composites decreased with increasing both [aniline] and stirring time, while it increased with increasing amount of beta-MnO2. The applications of the composites in the oxidative degradation of Direct Red 81, Acid Blue 92, and Indigo Carmine dyes exhibited good catalytic activity in the presence of H2O2 as an oxidant. The reactions followed first-order kinetics and the rate constants were determined. The degradation reaction involved the catalytic action of the PANI counterpart of the composite toward H2O2 decomposition, which can lead to the generation of HO radicals as a highly efficient oxidant attacking the target dyes. The detailed kinetic studies and the mechanism of these catalytic reactions are under consideration in our group.