A non-benzenoid aromatic
hydrocarbon azulene, naturally
found in
plants and mushrooms, is known for its derivatives applications in
medicines. However, the processability of its chemically synthesized
high-capacitance polymer is constrained by the sparingly soluble nature
of its polymeric form. Oxidative chemical synthesis on a desirable
substrate overcomes this difficulty. In this report, polyazulene (PAz)
thin films are synthesized by vapor phase polymerization at atmospheric
pressure using oxidants, such as CuCl2, CuBr2, FeCl3, and FeTOS. The effect of oxidants on morphologies
of PAz films is studied using atomic force microscopy and microscope
imaging. Each oxidant produced distinct microstructures in the films.
The films synthesized using Cu(II) salts showed organized and knitted
structures, whereas Fe(III) salts formed casted sheet-like disordered
arrangements. The films synthesized using CuCl2 created
uniform porous film assemblies. The pre-peak formations and their
splitting observed in the cyclic voltammograms revealed phase segregations
in the films. Oxidant-dependent structural and chemical differences
such as charge carrier formation, doping levels, and polymer chain
length in the PAz films are studied by using UV–Vis and FTIR
spectroscopy. The results indicated that 240 and 180 mM are the optimum
concentration of CuCl2 to produce high capacitance and
well-organized single- and triple-layered PAz films, respectively.
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