Kinetics of pH response for copolymer films with dilute carboxylate functionality

We have investigated the effects of film composition and thickness on the rate of pH-induced response of a copolymer film containing predominately polymethylene with randomly distributed carboxylic acid side groups (denoted as PM-CO2H). These responsive films are prepared directly onto a gold electrode surface by surface-catalyzed polymerization and subsequent hydrolysis. We measured electrochemical impedance at fixed frequency (100 Hz) to monitor the barrier properties of the polymer film during a step change in pH. At a 1-3% molar acid content, the copolymer films exhibit a 2 order of magnitude change in impedance at 100 Hz when the contacting solution pH changes from 11 to 4 (or 4 to 11). For all films, the rate of protonation is slower than that of ionization, consistent with a more gradual transfer of protons through an increasingly hydrophobic film at the outermost nanometers during the protonation step. Increased acid content within the film accelerates both the rate of protonation and ionization. Thinner films (50 nm) with the same acid content show faster response rate in both directions, since water and ions have a shorter transfer path. A large and reversible pH response was obtained for all films studied, but selection of appropriate film composition and thickness can greatly influence the rate of response.     

Preparation of end-grafted polymer brushes by nitroxide-mediated free radical polymerization of vaporized vinyl monomers

In this work, we report a gas-phase polymerization approach to create end-grafted vinyl based polymer films on silicon oxide based substrates. The "surface-initiated vapor deposition polymerization" (SI-VDP) of vaporized vinyl monomers, via the nitroxide-mediated free radical polymerization mechanism, was developed to fabricate various homo- and block copolymer brushes from surface-bound initiators, 1-(4'-oxa-2'-phenyl-12'-trimethoxysilyldodecyloxy)-2,2,6,6-tetra-methylpiperidine ("TEMPO"). The resulting polymer thin films were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and contact angle goniometry, respectively, to identify the surface composition, film thickness, surface coverage, and water contact angles. Through the SI-VDP, end-grafted polymer films of polystyrene (PSt), poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc), poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) (PHPMA), and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) with 10-200 nm thicknesses were fabricated. Furthermore, the block copolymer films of PAAc (1st block)-b-PSt (2nd block), PSt (1st block)-b-PAAc (2nd block), and a triblock copolymer film of PAAc (1st)-b-PSt (2nd)-b-PHPMA (3rd), were also fabricated, suggesting the "renewability" of the TEMPO-initiated polymerization in the SI-VDP scheme. It is also noticed that the SI-VDP is more efficient than the conventional solution phase polymerization in producing functional polymer brushes such as PNIPAAm, PAAc, or PAAc-b-PSt end-grafted films. In summary, our studies have shown clear advantages of the SI-VDP setup for the nitroxide-mediated polymerization scheme in controlling synthesis of end-grafted homo- and copolymer thin films.     

pH sensor based on polyaniline and aniline–anthranilic acid copolymer films using quartz crystal microbalance and electronic absorption spectroscopy

The pH sensitivity based on conducting polyaniline (PANI) and copolymer of aniline and o‐anthranilic acid (AA) films were studied using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The sensor was constructed from these polymer films coated on the electrode of the QCM. The resonant frequency changes as a function of pH in the range of 2–12 were measured. These changes are quantitative indication of the degree of dedoping or redoping of the polymer films upon the subsequent exposure of the electrode to 0.25 M sulfuric acid and different pH solutions. There are two linear regressions between the frequency change and pH with two different and opposite slopes in the regions from 2 to 9 and 9 to 12. The pH sensitivity of the copolymer film was found to be less than using the PANI film. Thin films of PANI and copolymer, which were chemically polymerized in a sulfuric acid solution, were deposited onto the inner walls of the quartz cuvettes. The UV–Vis absorption spectra of these films were measured in different pH solutions. Relations between the maximum absorption and its wavelength versus pH were constructed. The copolymer film shows some advantages over the PANI film. The difference between the PANI and copolymer films as pH sensors using the QCM and electronic absorption extends from the determination of pK_a for both films. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Production of Polyacrylic Acid Homo- and Copolymer Films by Electrochemically Induced Free-Radical Polymerization: Preparation and Swelling Behavior

Films of polyacrylic acid hydrogels were produced on a conducting substrate by means of electrochemically initiated polymerization (EIP). An electro-chemical quartz crystal microbalance was used to monitor film growth in situ. Homopolymer and copolymer films of polyacrylic acid and poly-N-isopropylacrylamide were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. The degree of swelling of these films could be tuned via the pH.     

Immobilization of glucose oxidase on the films prepared by electrochemical copolymerization of pyrrole and 1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole for glucose sensing

Glucose oxidase (GOx) was immobilized through amide linkages on the surfaces of the conducting polymer films prepared by electrochemical copolymerization of pyrrole (Py) and 1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole (Py-COOH) for the purpose of fabricating GOx-immobilized electrodes for amperometric sensing of glucose. The conductivity of the copolymer film was in the range 10⁻⁸-10⁻³ S/cm and showed a tendency to decrease with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer. The amount of immobilized GOx increased significantly with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer film up to 30%, and showed a tendency to level off when the content of Py-COOH units became larger. The activity of immobilized GOx per area of the copolymer film decreased slightly with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer. Although the GOx-immobilized copolymer films gave the amperometric response to glucose depending on its concentration, the magnitude of the response to a given concentration was found to decrease with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer. The variation in the amperometric response was attributed to the difference in conductivity of the copolymer film. The appropriate content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer was considered to be 5% or less for the amperometric sensing of glucose with the GOx-immobilized copolymer film.     

Electrochemical Properties of an Osmium(II) Copolymer Film and Its Electrocatalytic Ability Towards the Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid in Acidic and Neutral pH

Copolymerization of an osmium(II) functionalized pyrrole moiety, osmium‐bis‐N,N'‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐N‐(pyridine‐4‐ylmethyl‐(8‐pyrrole‐1yl–octyl)‐amine)chloride ( I ) with 3‐methylthiophene was carried out. The resulting conducting polymer film exhibited a clear redox couple associated with the Os^3+/2+ response and the familiar conducting polymer backbone signature. The effect of film thickness upon the redox properties of the copolymer was investigated in organic electrolyte solutions. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) along with energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectra of the copolymerized films were undertaken, both after formation and redox cycling in neutral buffer solution. These clearly show that electrolyte is incorporated into the polymer film upon redox cycling through the Os^3+/2+ redox system. The Os^3+/2+ response associated with the copolymer was seen to be significantly altered in the presence of ascorbic acid both in acidic and neutral pH buffer solutions. This pointed to an electrocatalytic reaction between the ascorbic acid and the Os³⁺ form of the copolymer. Under acidic conditions the copolymer film exhibited a sensitivity of 1.76 (±0.05) μA/mM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.45 μM for ascorbic acid. Under neutral pH conditions the copolymer exhibited a sensitivity of 19.26 (±1.05) μA/mM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.28 μM for ascorbic acid.     

pH-Induced antireflection coatings derived from hydrogen-bonding-directed multilayer films

Hydrogen-bonding-directed layer-by-layer assembled films, based on polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) block copolymer micelles and poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP), were successfully fabricated in methanol. Varying the PAA content in the PS-b-PAA micelles afforded control over the film growth properties, especially the multilayer film thickness. Interestingly, antireflection films with refractive indices that could be tuned between 1.58 and 1.28 were obtained by treatment with an aqueous HCl solution (pH 2.27), and the transmittance obtained was as high as 98.4%. In acid solution, the pyridine group was protonated, destroying the hydrogen bonding between P4VP and PAA. A concomitant pH-induced polymer reorganization in the multilayers resulted in a porous honeycomb-like texture on the substrate.     

Synthesis, characterization and protein adsorption behaviors of PLGA/PEG di-block co-polymer blend films

A series of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG) di-block copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide and glycolide with different molecular weights of monomethoxy polyethyleneglycol (mPEG) 750, 2000 and 5000 as an initiator. The bulk properties of these co-polymers were characterized by using 1H NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) results, in which the blend films with the di-block copolymers showed increasing surface oxygen atomic percentage with increasing PEG chain length, indicate that PEG chain segment in the di-block copolymers is surface oriented and enriched onto the surface of the blend films. The extent of protein adsorption onto the surface of these blend films was studied, using iodine radio-labeled human serum albumin, gamma globulin and human growth hormone. The protein adsorption amount was reduced for the blend films prepared with PLGA/PEG 750 and 2000 di-block copolymers, but increased to a great extent for PLGA/PEG 5000 di-block copolymer. This is due to the increased water uptake capacity of the blend film, which absorbed more protein molecules into a swollen polymer matrix in addition to surface adsorption.     

Synthesis and photoinduced memory effect of poly[2-N-carbazolylethyl acrylate-co-2-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyloxy) ethyl methacrylate]

Copolymers containing an intramolecular electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex were synthesized by free radical copolymerization of 2-N-carbazolylethyl acrylate and 2-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyloxy)ethyl methacrylate. Glass transition temperatures show a positive deviation from the weight-average values of copolymers, indicating the presence of the specific EDA interaction in copolymers in the solid state. Photoinduced “memory effect,” which is defined as the percentage of the difference of the surface potential given by corona charging before and after irradiation of light on polymer films, was 30% for the copolymer with 5 mol% of acceptor content. Memory effect increased to 70% for a 8 μm film by doping with 2 wt% of trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), and leveled off at 5 wt% of TCAA content. Memory effect was also enhanced by increasing the thickness of polymer films and irradiation time. The largest value of memory effect (85%) was obtained from the film of the copolymer with 5 mol% acceptor content doped with 1 wt% TCAA and with thickness larger than 14 μm.     

Surface-initiated, ring-opening metathesis polymerization: formation of diblock copolymer brushes and solvent-dependent morphological changes

In this article, we report the formation of diblock copolymer brushes on a gold surface by surface-initiated, ring-opening metathesis polymerization (SI-ROMP) with the newly developed ruthenium catalyst [(H2IMes)(3-Br-py)2(Cl)2Ru=CHPh]. Taking advantage of the highly improved activity of the ruthenium catalyst and the rapid initiation step of ROMP, we successfully formed thin films of well-defined block copolymers with 5-norbornene-2-endo,3-endo-dimethanol and norbornene carboxylic acid methyl esters (44:56 endo/exo). The catalyst was found to be active enough to polymerize endo isomers of norbonene derivatives from the surface as well as to form diblock copolymer brushes. SI-ROMP of diblock copolymers from the surface was confirmed by ellipsometry, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. After the formation, the polymer-grafted substrates were immersed in various solvents, and the selective swelling characteristics of polymer brushes were investigated by atomic force microscopy.     

Template-directed adsorption of block copolymers on alkanethiol-patterned gold surfaces

Functionalized alkanethiols have been self-assembled on gold to modify the wetting properties of the surface and promote or hinder the adsorption of block copolymers containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies of spin-coated polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PE-b-PEO) copolymers on 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHDA)-, octadecanethiol (ODT)-, and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT)-covered surfaces have been performed. In the case of an 80 wt % PEO block copolymer, spin-coating on a gold surface precovered with MHDA results in a polymer film thick enough to completely attenuate Au 4f photoelectrons; spin-coating on the more hydrophobic ODT and PFDT monolayers leads to significantly thinner polymer films and incomplete attenuation of the gold photoelectrons. The opposite results are observed when a 20 wt % PEO block copolymer is used. Angle-resolved XPS studies of the 80 wt % PEO block copolymer spin-coated onto an MHDA-covered surface indicate that the PE blocks of the polymer segregate to the near-surface region, oriented away from the hydrophilic carboxylic acid tails of the monolayers; the surface concentration of PE is further enhanced by annealing at 90 degrees C. Microcontact printing and dip-pen nanolithography have been used to pattern gold surfaces with MHDA, and the surfaces have been backfilled with ODT or PFDT, such that the unpatterned regions of the surface are covered with hydrophobic monolayers. In the case of backfilling with PFDT, spin-coating the 80 wt % PEO copolymer onto these patterned surfaces and subsequent annealing results in the block copolymer preferentially adsorbing on the MHDA-covered regions and forming well-defined patterns that mimic the MHDA pattern, as determined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Significantly worse patterning, characterized by micron-sized polymer droplets, results when the surface is backfilled with ODT instead of PFDT. Using PFDT and MHDA, polymer features having widths as small as 500 nm have been formed. These studies demonstrate a novel method to pattern block copolymers with nanoscale resolution.     

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。     

Electrochemical polymerization of fluoranthene and characterization of its polymers

A novel inherently conducting polymer, high-quality polyfluoranthene (PFA) film with electrical conductivity of 10(-2) S cm(-1), was first synthesized electrochemically by direct anodic oxidation of fluoranthene in a middle strong Lewis acid-boron trifluoride diethyl etherate. The oxidation potential onset of fluoranthene in this medium was measured to be only 1.07 V vs SCE, which was much lower than that in acetonitrile + 0.1 mol L(-1) tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (1.68 V vs SCE). This PFA film showed good redox activity and stability even in concentrated sulfuric acid. Moreover, the fluorescence properties of PFA were greatly improved in comparison with those of the monomer. Dedoped PFA films were partly soluble in polar solvents such as CH(2)Cl(2), acetone, tetrahedrofuran, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The structure and morphology of the polymer were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results of quantum chemistry calculations of fluoranthene monomer and (1)H NMR spectroscopy of dedoped PFA films indicated that the polymerization mainly occurred at C((3)), C((4)), C((13)), and C((14)) positions.     

Preparation, structure, and electrochemistry of a polypyrrole film doped with manganese(III)-substituted Dawson-type phosphopolyoxotungstate

The fabrication, structure, electrochemical properties, and electrocatalytic properties of a manganese(III)-substituted Dawson-type phosphopolyoxotungstate, alpha 2-K7P2W17O61(Mn3+.OH2).12H2O (P2W17Mn), entrapped in polypyrrole (PPy) film have been studied. The hybrid film was prepared by potentiostatic polymerization from aqueous solution containing 20 mM pyrrole (Py) and 2 mM P2W17Mn on a pyrolytic graphite (PG) surface. Chronoamperometry, Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry were used to monitor and characterize the growth, structure, and properties of the film. The chronoamperometric curve shows that P2W17Mn can catalyze the electrochemical polymerization of Py. The Raman spectrum suggests that the doped P2W17Mn has little effect on the structure of PPy film. The P2W17Mn/PPy film exhibits good voltammetric response in both the acidic aqueous and acetonitrile solutions. At pH 1.0, the molar ratio of pyrrole to P2W17Mn7- in the hybrid film is 21.1:1, quite close to the expected ratio of 21.2:1 for a PPy film with a +0.33 oxidation level per pyrrole moiety and doped with an anion with a charge of 7. The influence of solution pH on P2W17Mn7- in the film is much smaller than that in the aqueous solution. During the potential scanning in 0.1 M LiClO4 acetonitrile solution, P2W17Mn7- was slowly released from the hybrid film and electrolyte ions (Li+ and ClO4-) were inserted into the film. This was identified by cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible spectroscopy. Additionally, the hybrid film can effectively catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite.     

Stimuli-responsive surfaces using polyampholyte polymer brushes prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization

The synthesis of AB diblock copolymer polyampholyte polymer brushes of the type Si/SiO2//poly(acrylic acid-b-vinyl pyridine) prepared using atom transfer radical polymerization is reported. Both 2- and 4-vinyl pyridine have been used. The diblock polyampholyte polymer brushes demonstrate stimuli-responsive behavior with respect to pH, showing both polyelectrolyte and polyampholyte effects. Furthermore, we have quaternized the 4-vinyl pyridine segments to form a mixed weak/strong, or annealed/quenched, polyelectrolyte system. The quaternized polymer brush exhibits different pH-responsive behavior, with decreasing film thickness being observed with increasing pH.     

Facile synthesis and optimization of conductive copolymer nanoparticles and nanocomposite films from aniline with sulfodiphenylamine

A new series of electrically conductive pure copolymer nanoparticles was facilely synthesized by using oxidative polymerization of aniline (AN) and sodium diphenylamine-4-sulfonate (SDP) in acidic media in the absence of stabilizer. The variation of the structure of the copolymer particles was comprehensively studied by carefully choosing several important parameters, such as the comonomer ratio, oxidant/monomer ratio, polymerization time and temperature, monomer concentration, acidic medium, and oxidant species. Analytical techniques used include IR and UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, laser particle analysis, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the particle size varied significantly with the above-mentioned polymerization parameters, only changes in the salt concentration in the aqueous testing solution had no noticeable effect. The polymerization conditions were optimized for the formation of copolymer nanoparticles with sought-after properties. The doped copolymer particles of AN/SDP (50:50) at an oxidant/monomer molar ratio of 0.5 exhibit a minimum length of 50 nm and a minimum diameter of 44 nm. The bulk electrical conductivity of the copolymer particles increases greatly from 5.90x10(-4) to 1.15x10(-2) S cm(-1) with increasing AN content. Compared with barely soluble polyaniline, the copolymers exhibit a remarkably enhanced solubility in most solvents, including NH4OH and even water, due to the presence of the hydrophilic sulfonic groups. Nanocomposite films of the nanoparticles and cellulose diacetate exhibit a percolation threshold of down to 0.1 wt %, at which the film retains 98% of the transparency, 94% of the strength, and 5x10(7) times the conductivity of a pure cellulose diacetate film.     

Tuning the interfacial properties of grafted chains with a pH switch

Environmentally responsive, water-soluble polymers have a wide variety of uses ranging from drug delivery to viscosity modifiers. Their utility lies in the ability to use environmental perturbations to dramatically alter the material properties. Here, we describe the interfacial properties of a hydrophobically modified copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and glycinylacrylamide (NIPAM-N-Gly-(C18)2), which is both temperature and pH responsive. Direct force measurements quantified the substantial pH-dependent change in the molecular properties of end-grafted NIPAM-N-Gly-(C18)2 monolayers. At pH 8.0, where the glycine side chains are ionized, the polymers exhibit stereotypical polyelectrolyte behavior. Side chain neutralization at pH 5.0 causes a substantial decrease in the film thickness, and the polymer films adhere strongly. The adhesion is presumably through H-bonding between the glycine side chains. Our findings revealed the likely molecular basis of pH-dependent changes in the copolymer films and identified clear design criteria for tuning the interfacial properties of these polymer films.     

Preparation and characterization of polymer/silica nanocomposites via double in situ miniemulsion polymerization

Polymer/SiO₂ nanocomposite microspheres were prepared by double in situ miniemulsion polymerization in the presence of methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, γ‐methacryloxy(propyl) trimethoxysilane, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). By taking full advantage of phase separation between the growing polymer particles and TEOS, inorganic/polymer microspheres were fabricated successfully in a one‐step process with the formation of SiO₂ particles and the polymerization of organic monomers taking place simultaneously. The morphology of nanocomposite microspheres and the microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and optical properties of the nanocomposite films were characterized and discussed. The results showed that hybrid microspheres had a raspberry‐like structure with silica nanoparticles on the shells of polymer. The silica particles of about 20 nm were highly dispersed within the nanocomposite films without aggregations. The transmittance of nanocomposite film was comparable to that of the copolymer film at around 70–80% from 400 to 800 nm. The mechanical properties and the fire‐retardant behavior of the polymer matrix were improved by the incorporation of silica nanoparticles. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3128–3134, 2010     

预辐射接枝四氟乙烯-乙烯共聚物湿敏膜的制备及特性研究

利用2 MeV电子加速器, 在常温下采用预辐照引发接枝的方法, 在四氟乙烯-乙烯共聚物(ETFE)上接枝丙烯酸(AA)和对苯乙烯磺酸钠(SSS), 制备了一种含羧酸基团和磺酸基团的接枝膜. 傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)分析结果证明了磺酸基团和羧酸基团的成功引入, 并对接枝膜的热力学和化学特性进行了研究. 结果表明, 随着接枝率的增加, 接枝膜的结晶度逐渐降低, 接触角逐渐减小, 接枝膜的亲水性逐渐增强. 利用制备的接枝膜构建了电阻型湿度传感器, 并测定了传感器的电学特性. 在相对湿度(RH)从5%变化到98%时, 传感器电阻线性变化范围接近4个数量级, 具有响应速度快(吸附<1 min, 解吸<2 min), 湿滞小(<2%RH)的特点.     

Photoemission studies of polythiophene and polyphenyl films produced via surface polymerization by ion-assisted deposition

Conducting polymer films are grown by mass-selected, hyperthermal thiophene ions coincident on a surface with a thermal beam of organic monomers of either alpha-terthiophene (3T) or p-terphenyl (3P) neutrals. Mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy previously verified polymerization of both 3T and 3P by 200 eV C(4)H(4)S(+) during surface polymerization by ion-assisted deposition (SPIAD). The electronic structure of these films are probed here by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and polarized near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and compared with similar spectra of evaporated films. The conducting polymer films formed by SPIAD display new valence band features resulting from a reduction in both their band gap and barrier to hole injection, which are calculated from the occupied and unoccupied valence band states measured by UPS and NEXAFS. These changes in film electronic structure result from an increase in the electron conjugation length and other changes in film structure induced by SPIAD.