Electrical properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) threaded by cucurbit[7]uril

Abstract

Supramolecular PEDOT∙CB7-PS polypseudorotaxane and PEDOT∙CB7-PR polyrotaxane were prepared by threading the cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) molecules over the 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomer, followed by oxidative polymerization . The dielectric parameters of these encapsulated compounds were investigated by means of broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The evolution of dielectric constant with frequency clearly emphasizes two distinct regimes, assigned with the space charge polarization (at low frequencies) and the ‘intrinsic’ dipolar activity (at high frequencies). The spectra of dielectric loss vs. frequency reveal a dominant signal for conductivity of free charge carriers. Furthermore, frequency dependences of conductivity profiles are strongly correlated with the dielectric constant and dielectric loss components and disclose the clear signal of electrical conductivity. The conductivity of PEDOT∙CB7-PR was found to be with one order of magnitude higher than that of the pristine PEDOT.