X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies of charge transfer interactions in electroactive polyaniline

Four modes of charge transfer interactions in polyaniline (PAN), viz. acid protonation, self-doping, charge transfer interactions with organic acceptors, and charge transfer interactions with surface grafted functional polymers have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In the case of acid protonation, the protonation behavior of volatile and non-volatile acid differs. The structures of sulfonated leucomeraldine (LM) and nigraniline (NA) are similar to those of sulfonated and self-protonated emeraldine (EM). A substantially higher degree of charge transfer interaction with the organic acceptors is observed for EM film that has been subjected to one cycle of acid/base treatment. The charge transfer interactions with the organic acceptors have proceeded further than the pure formation of molecular complexes. Both pristine and Ar plasma or O₃ pretreated EM films are susceptible to surface modifications by graft copolymerization. The protonic acid functional groups of the graft readily give rise to a self-protonated EM surface.     

Surface Modification of Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) Films by Plasma Pre-Activation and Plasma Polymerization of Glycidyl Methacrylate

Surface modification of poly(tetrafuoroethylene) (PTFE) film by plasma polymerzation and deposition of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), in the presence and absence of Ar or O₂ plasma pre-activation, was carried out to enhance the adhesion with polyimides (PI) film in the presence of an epoxy adhesive. For deposition carried out at low RF power, a high epoxide concentration was preserved in the plasma-polymerized GMA (pp-GMA) layer on PTFE (pp-GMA-PTFE). However, high adhesion strength of the PI/pp-GMA-PTFE laminate was obtained only in the presence of O₂ plasma pre-activation of the PTFE substrates prior to plasma polymerization and deposition of GMA. In the absence of any plasma pre-activation or in the presence of Ar plasma pre-activation, the deposited pp-GMA layer on the PTFE surface could be readily removed by solvent extraction. The adhesion enhancement of the PI/pp-GMA-PTFE laminates in the presence of O₂ plasma pre-activation was attributed to the preservation of the epoxide functional groups in the pp-GMA layer, the curing of the GMA chains into the matrix of the epoxy adhesive, and the covalent bonding of the pp-GMA layer on the PTFE surface.     

Push–Pull archetype of reduced graphene oxide functionalized with polyfluorene for nonvolatile rewritable memory

A solution‐processable PFTPA‐convalently grafted reduced graphene oxide (RGO‐PFTPA) was synthesized by the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide. Bistable electrical switching and nonvolatile rewritable memory effects were demonstrated in a sandwich structure of indium tin oxide/RGO‐PFTPA/Al. The switch‐on voltage of the as‐fabricated device was around ?1.4 V, and the ON/OFF‐state current ratio was more than 10³. The ON–OFF transition process is reversible because the application of a high enough positive voltage can induce the reverse transfer of electrons, reducing the conductivity back to its initial OFF state. Both the OFF and ON states are accessible and very stable under a constant voltage stress of ?1 V for up to 3 h, or under a pulse voltage stress of ?1 V for up to 10⁸ continuous read cycles (pulse period = 2 μs, pulse width = 1 μs). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

PEGylated anti-MUC1 aptamer-doxorubicin complex for targeted drug delivery to MCF7 breast cancer cells

Targeted drug delivery is especially important in cancer treatment as many anti-cancer drugs are non-specific and highly toxic to both cancer and normal cells. The targeted drug delivery of DOX to the MUC1-expressing breast cancer cell line (MCF7) was obtained using APT as a carrier. Modification of the APT-DOX complex by PEG increases the survivability of the macrophage control (RAW 264.7) by about six-fold as compared to free DOX treatment without significantly affecting the cytotoxicity toward the target cell line. Thus, PEG-APT-DOX is potentially a new therapeutic agent for targeted drug delivery to MUC1-expressing cell lines.     

Nonvolatile rewritable memory effects in graphene oxide functionalized by conjugated polymer containing fluorene and carbazole units

A new polymer, poly[{9,9-di(triphenylamine)fluorene}(9,9-dihexylfluorene)(4-aminophenylcarbazole)] (PFCz) was synthesized and used in a reaction with graphene oxide (GO) containing surface-bonded acyl chloride moieties to give a soluble GO-based polymer material GO-PFCz. A bistable electrical switching effect was observed in an electronic device in which the GO-PFCz film was sandwiched between indium-tin oxide (ITO) and Al electrodes. This device exhibited two accessible conductivity states, that is, a low-conductivity (OFF) state and a high-conductivity (ON) state, and can be switched to the ON state under a negative electrical sweep; it can also be reset to the initial OFF state by a reverse (positive) electrical sweep. The ON state is nonvolatile and can withstand a constant voltage stress of -1 V for 3 h and 10(8) read cycles at -1 V under ambient conditions. The nonvolatile nature of the ON state and the ability to write, read, and erase the electrical states, fulfill the functionality of a rewritable memory. The mechanism associated with the memory effects was elucidated from molecular simulation results and in-situ photoluminescence spectra of the GO-PFCz film under different electrical biases.     

Structural Studies of Aniline: Substituted Aniline Copolymers By Xps

ABSTRACT

The structure and protonation level of the chemically synthesized 2-chloroaniline and 2-iodoaniline homopolymers and their copolymers with aniline have been studied. the results indicate there is no elimination of the substituent group and the polymerization probably occurs at the para-position. the protonation level of the copolymers decreases substantially when the fraction of substituted aniline units is above 0.5, and the electrical conductivity of the copolymers decreases rapidly with an increase in the fraction of substituted aniline units. the protonation level is also lower when HCl rather than H₂SO₄ is used as the protonating acid species, and a significant fraction of the chlorine incorporated is covalently bonded to the polymer. the Nls core-level spectra of the copolymer and the haloaniline homopolymer bases reveal that their imine/amine ratio is substantially lower than that of the polyaniline base. the copolymers show partial solubility in chloroform, but the electrical conductivity of the chloroform-treated samples is not significantly different from that of the pristine sample. When the copolymers synthesized in HCl are heated to 150°C, a fraction of the ionic chlorine is converted to covalently bonded species, resulting in a substantial decrease in the electrical conductivity.     

The Polymerization and Oxidation of Pyrrole by Halogens in Organic Solvents

Simultaneous chemical polymerization and oxidation of pyrrole have been initiated by a halogenic electron acceptor, bromine or iodine, in various organic solvents. The polypyrrole (PPY)-halogen charge transfer (CT) complexes obtained from polymerization in acetonitrile are of particular interest. Both the PPY-I₂ and PPY-Br₂ CT complexes are granular in nature and have an electrical conductivity in the order of 1 to 10 ohm^?1 cm^?1. Both complexes show remarkable stability in the atmosphere and in the presence of moisture. The PPY-I₂ and PPY-Br₂ CT complexes in the form of thin, coarse films have also been synthesized on a SnO₂ electrode by electrochemical polymerization in acetonitrile. The physicochemical properties of the PPY-I₂ and PPY-Br₂ CT complexes prepared by the chemical methods are characterized by means of UV-visible and IR absorption spectroscopy, thermal and chemical analysis, and electrical conductivity and density measurements.     

Preparation and Unique Electrical Behaviors of Monodispersed Hybrid Nanorattles of Metal Nanocores with Hairy Electroactive Polymer Shells

A versatile template‐assisted strategy for the preparation of monodispersed rattle‐type hybrid nanospheres, encapsulating a movable Au nanocore in the hollow cavity of a hairy electroactive polymer shell (Au@air@PTEMA‐g‐P3HT hybrid nanorattles; PTEMA: poly(2‐(thiophen‐3‐yl)ethyl methacrylate; P3HT: poly(3‐hexylthiophene), was reported. The Au@silica core‐shell nanoparticles, prepared by the modified Stöber sol–gel process on Au nanoparticle seeds, were used as templates for the synthesis of Au@silica@PTEMA core‐double shell nanospheres. Subsequent oxidative graft polymerization of 3‐hexylthiophene from the exterior surface of the Au@silica@PTEMA core‐double shell nanospheres allowed the tailoring of surface functionality with electroactive P3HT brushes (Au@silica@PTEMA‐g‐P3HT nanospheres). The Au@air@ PTEMA‐g‐P3HT hybrid nanorattles were obtained after etching of the silica interlayer by HF. The as‐prepared nanorattles were dispersed into an electrically insulating polystyrene matrix and for the first time used to fabricate nonvolatile memory devices. As a result, unique electrical behaviors, including insulator behavior, write‐once‐read‐many‐times and rewritable memory effects, and conductor behavior as well, were observed in the Al/Au@air@PTEMA‐g‐P3HT+PS/ITO (ITO: indium‐tin oxide) sandwich thin‐film devices.     

Intrinsic redox states of polyaniline studied by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

High-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) measurements of the various intrinsic redox states of polyaniline (PANI), using a monochromatized Al—Kα source, were carried out. The presence of the imine, amine and positively charged nitrogen species corresponding to a particular intrinsic redox state and protonation level of the polymer was resolved quantitatively and unambiguously. The result confirmed the peak assignments of former XPS core-level studies using the lower resolution non-monochromatized Mg—Kα X-ray source. Thus, the high-resolution XPS using a monochromatized Al—Kα X-ray source is a truly unique tool for the convenient and quantitative analysis of the various intrinsic redox states of PANI. Received: 16 May 2000/Accepted: 29 August 2000     

XPS studies of charge transfer interactions in some polyphenylacetylene-electron acceptor systems

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies have been performed on charge transfer complexes of trans-polyphenylacetylene (PPA). The acceptors used included halogens, such as I₂ and Br₂, and organic electron acceptors, such as 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ), chloranil, fluoranil, and 7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ). Incomplete and relatively weak charge transfer interactions were observed in most of the complexes. These help to account for the relatively low conductivity levels observed in most of the PPA complexes when compared with the corresponding complexes of other conjugated polymers. PPA has also been found to interact with molecular oxygen to some extent in solution. In complexes involving O₂, Br₂, and fluoranil, XPS data suggest that the charge transfer interaction may have proceeded further than the pure formation of molecular charge transfer complexes.