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Letter

Template Synthesis of Conducting Polymeric Nanocones of Poly(3-methylthiophene)

B. Rajesh,^† K. Ravindranathan Thampi,*^† J.-M. Bonard,^‡ N. Xanthopoulos,^§ H. J. Mathieu,^§ and B. Viswanathan*

Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, ISIC-LPI, Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, and Laboratoire de Métallurgie Chimique, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland, and Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai-600036, India

J. Phys. Chem. B, 2004, 108 (30), pp 10640–10644

DOI: 10.1021/jp030623+

Publication Date (Web): June 29, 2004

†

Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, ISIC-LPI, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Corresponding authors. E-mail: K.R.T., Ravindranathan.Thampi@epfl.ch; B.V., bviswanathan@hotmail.com.

‡

Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Laboratoire de Métallurgie Chimique, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).

⊥

Indian Institute of Technology.

Abstract

The electrochemical synthesis of conducting poly(3-methylthiophene) nanocones on carbon cloth, employing an alumina membrane as a template, is reported. The morphological characterization has been done using high- resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy for both the template-synthesized and the template-free poly(3-methylthiophene). The morphology of the template-synthesized poly(3-methylthiophene) varies from hollow oriented nanocones to deformed nanocones and agglomerated forms (not in cone form) depending on the experimental conditions. The electrochemical properties of the nanocone electrode have been compared with those of the conventionally synthesized poly(3-methylthiophene) on carbon cloth, using cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The impedance and cyclic voltammetric measurements revealed that there is a rapid charge transport within the nanocones and between the nanocones and the electrolyte. The low impedance of dendritic poly(3-methylthiophene) nanocones is promising for their application in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, where the internal resistances need to be minimized.

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