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Thin films of poly 3-thiophene acetic acid

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Author(s):
Bruno Bassi Millan Torres
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Master's Dissertation
Press: São Carlos.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior; Marisa Masumi Beppu; Andréa Simone Stucchi de Camargo Alvarez Bernardez
Advisor: Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior
Abstract

Polythiophene acetic acid (PTAA) is a versatile polythiophene derivative. Its solubility in some organic solvents and in basic aqueous solutions makes it attractive for processing thin films, an important feature for the fabrication of devices and sensors. In this thesis, we investigate the formation of PTAA films using the layer-by-layer (LbL) and the Langmuir- Blodgett (LB) techniques. The LbL films were prepared with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDAC), with film growth depending on the pH of the solutions and type of polycation, thus indicating that the growth mechanism depends on polymer-polymer interactions. The conformation of the PTAA molecules in solid state was correlated with that in solution, in a kind of memory effect. The surface energy of the films was not affected by the film architecture or different conformations. The film morphology was characterized with AFM images using concepts of fractal geometry and statistics. The fractal dimension was similar for all films, and therefore the overall growth obeys the same process regardless of the deposition conditions. Nevertheless, films obtained at acidic pH exhibited larger grain size and correlation lengths than those produced at basic pHs, suggesting deposition of more coiled chains. It was also possible to fabricate selfsustained films without apparent PTAA degradation from the PAH/PTAA LbL films, upon thermal crosslinking of carboxylic acid and amine groups. This is the first report of such films with a polythiophene derivative. LB films of PTAA were obtained without co-spreading materials, but the deposition conditions need to be optimized. To explore the high chemical affinity between PTAA and compounds containing sulfur and heavy metals, some films were used for spectroscopic and electrochemical detection. The UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectra indicated that the metals affect only the excited states, leading to fluorescence quenching after long exposure times and without specificity for the metals. The FTIR spectra pointed to salts in the films. Pb+2 and Hg+2 ions could be detected using cyclic voltammetry, but their simultaneous detection was hampered by the irreversibility of the electrochemical processes which caused broadening of the oxi-reduction peaks. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 09/02690-9 - Nanostructured films of poly 3-thiophene acetic acid for optical and electrochemical determination of heavy metals
Grantee:Bruno Bassi Millan Torres
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master