Vortex fibril structure and chiroptical electrochromic effect of optically active poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT*) prepared by chiral transcription electrochemical polymerisation in cholesteric liquid crystal

Abstract

Chiroptical electroactive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was electrochemically synthesised in a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) electrolyte solution from the terEDOT monomer. PEDOT synthesised from terEDOT was found to enable the formation of a fibril structure. In contrast, the EDOT monomer produced PEDOT without fibrils. Electrochemical polymerisation using this method provides a polymer with a distinct fibril structure and vortex texture. This indicates that the individual main chains are arranged by the topological transcription of structural chirality in the epitaxial electrochemical polymerisation in CLC as a one-handed helically twisted matrix. The polymer was confirmed to exhibit chiroptical electrochromism, diffraction, and the generation of a charge carrier in a chiral environment. This suggests formation of helical polarons of PEDOT.