Extraction and characterizations of enzymatically synthesized conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

• An organic extraction was proposed for partially removal of PSS and oligomers of PEDOT.
• Characterizations confirmed the molecular structure of PEDOT and its interaction with PSS.
• TGA profile indicated that the enzymatically synthesized PEDOT possessed better thermal stability.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has become the most applicable conductive polymer due to its promising processability. Recently, the conductive PEDOT has been successively synthesized by an enzyme-catalyzed approach. In this study, we have further verified the efficiency of a two-stage process for the enzymatic synthesis of PEDOT by employing a heating procedure after the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed reaction in the presence of PSS template. An effective extraction to partially remove extra PSS as well as oligomers of PEDOT was also established with n-butanol as an organic solvent. Detail characterizations of enzymatically synthesized PEDOT:PSS included UV–vis spectrum, XPS, 1H NMR, and TGA, which further confirmed the synthesis of conductive PEDOT with a quinoid structure and using PSS as the template.