A two-stage enzymatic synthesis of conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

Abstract

The conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), possesses attractive properties that show the potential applications in many fields. In this study, we have proposed a two-stage enzymatic synthesis of conductive PEDOT. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) acts as the catalyst to promote the generation of EDOT free radicals followed by the polymerization under the room temperature in the presence of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), then a mild heating process is employed for further chain extension. The final PEDOT:PSS is purified with n-butanol and subjected to various characterizations, which indicate that PEDOT with enzymatic approach exhibits a similar molecular structure to that with chemical method. However, the enzymatically synthesized PEDOT:PSS demonstrates advantages, such as stable integration of PEDOT with PSS and better electrochemical properties, suggesting its future prospective applications.

Keywords: Conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene); Enzymatic polymerization; Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate).