POSS-ProDOT Crosslinking of PEDOT

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Alkoxy-functionalized polythiophenes like PEDOT and PProDOT are vital for bioelectronics due to conductivity and biocompatibility.
• However, their widespread use is hindered by poor electrochemical stability on inorganic substrates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel POSS-ProDOT crosslinker for copolymerization with EDOT.
• To enhance the electrochemical stability of PEDOT coatings for improved bioelectronic device performance.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of octa-ProDOT-functionalized POSS (POSS-ProDOT) via thiol-ene click chemistry.
• Electrochemical deposition of PEDOT-co-POSS-ProDOT copolymer films with varying crosslinker concentrations.
• Characterization using NMR, FTIR, Cyclic Voltammetry, EIS, UV-Vis, and SEM.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and structural confirmation of POSS-ProDOT.
• Systematic tuning of optical, morphological, and electrochemical properties of copolymer films.
• Significant enhancement in electrochemical stability observed at 3.1 wt% POSS-ProDOT.

Conclusions:

• PEDOT-co-POSS-ProDOT copolymers demonstrate superior electrochemical stability compared to pristine PEDOT.
• These materials are promising for advanced bioelectronic applications, including neural electrodes.