Electrosynthesis of polythiophene nanowires via mesoporous silica thin film templates

Early electrosynthesized polythiophene nanowires were prepared employing a mesoporous silica template, which was also electrochemically produced. A cathodic potential step was applied to a fluorine doped tin oxide conducting glass electrode in a cationic surfactant and silicate reagent medium to deposit highly ordered mesoporous silica films. To evaluate the pores order and, consequently, optimal deposition potential, the electrochemical response of the electrodes was studied using ferrocene as redox probe. The modified electrodes were used to accomplish polythiophene electrodeposits employing 0.6 mM thiophene and 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate in anhydrous CH3CN as working solution. Transmission electron microscope images of the deposits revealed the presence of polythiophene nanowires of about 6 nm in diameter arranged normal to the electrode surface. The unprecedented small size and arrangement of the obtained nanowires place this work as the first study that successfully accomplished the formation of nanoscale electrochemically synthesized conducting polymer nanowires.