Conducting redox polymers (CRP) consist of a conducting polymer (CP) backbone with redox active molecules as pendant groups (PG), which have been suggested as active electrode materials in sustainable batteries . The combination of a CP backbone and a redox active PG is expected to provide advantageous material properties including good electronic conductivity, high stability and large charge storage capacity.[1] Additionally, as organic based materials, they are favored in respect to development towards a sustainable future.[2]
For further understanding of these materials, a novel polymer, poly(pyrrol-3-yl-ethynyl-hydroquinone), that connects polypyrrole and hydroquinone units with a triple bond linker was synthesized, with the specific aim to investigate the interactions between CP and PG during electrochemical redox conversion. With assistance of various in situ techniques, e.g. EQCM, ATR-FTIR and conductivity measurements, it is clearly shown that the choice of linker has large impact on the interaction between the two units, thereby affecting the properties of the materials. The knowledge gained from probing these interactions allows better understanding in the future design of the CRP based electrode materials.
References:
[1] (a) Karlsson, C.; Jämstorp, E.; Strømme, M.; Sjödin, M. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2012, 116, 3793; (b) Karlsson, C.; Huang, H.; Strømme, M.; Gogoll, A.; Sjödin, M. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2013, 117, 23558; (c)Yang, L.; Mihali, V.-A.; Brandell, D.; Strømme, M.; Sjödin, M. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2014, 118, 25956.
(d)Karlsson, C.; Huang, H.; Stromme, M.; Gogoll, A.; Sjödin, M. RSC Adv. 2015, 5, 11309.
[2] M. Armand, J. M. Tarascon, Nature. 2008, 451, 652-657.