Ex situ XANES, XPS and Raman studies of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) modified by iron hexacyanoferrate

X-ray (XPS and XANES) and Raman spectra of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (pEDOT) modified by iron hexacyanoferrate (Fehcf) network are presented. XANES studies allowed to postulate an octahedral surrounding of iron atoms in the material and identified nitrogen and carbon atoms as nearest neighbourhoods. XPS measurements reveal iron–nitrogen and iron–carbon bonds, supporting the XANES results. Chemical interaction between sulphur from pEDOT and iron was also evidenced by XPS. Although both methods give proof of Prussian Blue structure inside the polymer, Raman studies did not show any signal typical for CN at about 2160 cm−1 (ν). However, the presence of Fehcf was confirmed by the stretching vibrations of Fe–N bond at 146 cm−1 and Fe–CN vibrations at 270 cm−1. AFM imaging was performed to illustrate the roughness and morphology of the pEDOT/Fehcf surface.