Starter Kit for Electrochemical Sensors Based on Polythiophene Thin Films—Synthesis of High-Quality Films and Protocol for Fast and Gentle Electrode Regeneration

Abstract

Due to their unique properties, polythiophene and other conductive polymers have become the subject of intensive research and are promising substrate materials for innovative and trendsetting applications. To this day, boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) is the preferred solvent for the electropolymerization of thiophene, although it does not allow for reproducible film qualities due to its decomposition under ambient conditions. We therefore want to equip the reader with a starter kit for the electropolymerization of high-quality polythiophene films from stable solvents and a simple yet efficient method to remove the deposited films from the electrodes for their reuse. By drying the working solution prior to its utilization, and by adding a Lewis acid catalyst, films that display enhanced electron transfer and a smooth surface topography can be obtained, which can both be beneficial for the analytic performance of a subsequently built biosensor.

Comprehensive Analysis of g -Radiation Impact on PVA-PTh Composite Films for Enhanced Battery Functionality

“…The configuration of this structure can be seen visually and might provide information about the microscopic organization (24) . Such smooth film surfaces reduce the steric hindrance of eventually immobilized bioreceptors and as a result, could lead to enhanced target sensitivity (18) . Moreover, morphological modifications in the PVA-PTh films illustrated in Figure 3b, were observed when they were coated on stainless steel plates under both control and γ-irradiated environments.…”

“…Within the spectrum region of 400 to 4000 cm -1 , the spectra were extensively examined, shedding light on the chemical composition and bonding characteristics of these materials. The Table 1 shows the peak positions associated with various major chemical bonds, as given in references (18,19,24) .…”

“…In the previous work the authors such as Oberhaus F.V. et al discussed the information about the electropolymerization of high-quality PTh films and then developed a gentle method for electrode generation (18) , Thanasamy D. et al reported the synthesis of greater yield of 80% for PTh with a maximum electrical conductivity of 9 Scm −1 at room temperature (19) , Jose F. et al studied the simultaneous in situ synthesis of PTh and silver nanoparticles embedded in a Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix to form a conducting polymer (20) . Cherkasinha N.I.…”

Straightforward Approach for Electrochemical Deposition and Modification of Conductive Polythiophene Thin Films for Bioreceptor Immobilization

“…It is of utmost importance to carefully dry the working solution since even minor amounts of water negatively affect electropolymerization to the point where film formation can be inhibited completely. We have found that drying the solution of hygroscopic counter ion and solvent over a molecular sieve for at least a week constitutes a simple yet effective method to remove water and allow for successful electropolymerization [18]. This way, we could obtain polythiophene films with exceptionally low charge transfer resistance R CT , which characterizes film conductivity in perpendicular direction and can be obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.…”