Preparation and characterization of conducting mixed-valence 9,9'-dimethyl-3,3'-bicarbazyl rectangular nanowires

The facile synthesis of an organic electric conducting nanowire is described. The simple oxidation of 9-methylcarbazole by iron(III) perchlorate in a methanol/acetonitrile mixture under atmospheric pressure and temperature produces abundant nanowires without using a template. The nanowire consists of 9,9'-dimethyl-3,3'-dicarbazyl and has a rectangular nanowire shape with an average diameter of 397 ± 50 nm and length of 17 ± 5 μm. The results of the elemental analysis, (1)H NMR, FT-IR, XPS, and ESR measurements revealed that the chemical composition of the nanowire is (dicarbazyl)(0.12)(dicarbazylium·ClO(4)(-))(0.88)·H(2)O. This result, combined with the UV-vis-NIR measurement, demonstrates that 9,9'-dimethyl-3,3'-dicarbazyl stacks in a mixed valence state. The nanowire is electroactive and has an electric conductivity of 3.0 × 10(-5) S cm(-1).