Highly Ordered 3D-Macroporous Poly(Para-Phenylene) Films Made by Electropolymerization of Benzene in an Ionic Liquid

Abstract A simple and efficient method for the preparation of highly ordered 3-dimensional macroporous polyparaphenylene (3DOM-PPP) conducting polymer films is reported for the first time. The method involves the simple electropolymerization of benzene inside a polystyrene opal template at mild reaction conditions. The ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([HMIm]FAP) containing benzene as a precursor is used as the electrolyte. Polystyrene colloidal crystals with average sphere-diameters of 240, 370 and 600 nm on ITO-glass substrates were used as templates. The obtained PPP inverse opal structures showed strong blue, green, yellow and red colors due to light diffraction caused by the 3-D highly ordered macroporous structure. A complete filling of the PS template with PPP can be easily achieved at room temperature. The electrochemical process was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and the deposits were characterized by SEM and IR analysis.

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