Alternate network film of thiol group-terminated polythiophene and gold nanoparticle

The thiol group-terminated polythiophenes were prepared via the Pd-catalyzed coupling reaction of the bromo group-terminated polythiophene derivatives and methylthiophenylboronic acid, and were mixed with the nanometer-sized gold particle to form a self-assembled network film of the alternate conjugation of the polythiophene with the gold nanoparticle. The electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the films supported the formation of a polythiophene/gold nanoparticle alternate network structure through the S-Au linkages. The high electric conductivity and its low activation energy on the network film suggested that the conductive characteristic of the film originated from that of the π-conjugated polythiophene backbone connected with the gold nanoparticle.