Chemical anchoring of organic conducting polymers to semiconducting surfaces
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsArthur J. Frank, Kenji Honda
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Abstract
According to the present invention, an improved method of coating electrodes with conductive polymer films and/or preselected catalysts is provided. The charge-conductive polymer is covalently or coordinatively attached to the electrode surface to strengthen the adhesion characteristics of the polymer to the electrode surface or to improve charge-conductive properties between the conductive polymer and the electrode surface. Covalent or coordinative attachment is achieved by a number of alternative methods including covalently or coordinatively attaching the desired monomer to the electrode by means of a suitable coupling reagent and, thereafter, electrochemically polymerizing the monomer in situ.
Claims25
A semiconductor electrode with a conductive polymeric coating attached to the surface thereof by means of a coupling reagent for effecting covalent attachment of said conductive polymeric coating to an oxide semiconductor electrode and coordinative attachment of said conductive polymeric coating to a non-oxide semiconductor electrode and for improving adhesion of the conductive polymeric coating to the surface of the semiconductor, wherein attachment of the coupling reagent to the electrode surface is a covalent or a coordinative chemical attachment.
A method of chemically attaching a conductive polymer to a semiconductor electrode comprising attaching a monomer of said polymer to the surface of said electrode by means of a coupling reagent to effect covalent attachment of the conductive polymer to an oxide semiconductor electrode and coordinative attachment of the conductive polymer to a non-oxide semiconductor electrode, wherein said coupling reagent is attached to the monomer and to the electrode surface, and thereafter polymerizing said monomer.
A method of attaching a conductive polymer to a semiconductor electrode surface comprising forming the conductive polymer, initialling chemically attaching a coupling reagent to a selected one of said conductive polymer and said electrode surface, and thereafter chemically attaching said coupling reagent to a remaining unattached one of said conductive polymer and said electrode surface, to effect covalent attachment of said conductive polymer to an oxide-semiconductor electrode and coordinative attachment of said conductive polymer to an non-oxide semiconductor electrode.
A method of chemically attaching a conductive polymer in conjunction with at least one different polymer to a semiconductor electrode surface comprising forming the conductive polymer, attaching a coupling reagent to a selected one of said electrode surface, said conductive polymer and said at least one different polymer, and thereafter chemically attaching said coupling reagent to a remaining unattached one of said conductive polymer, said at least one different polymer and said electrode surface to effect covalent attachment of said conductive polymer and said at least one different polymer to an oxide semiconductor electrode and coordinative attachment of said conductive polymer and said at least one different polymer to a non-oxide semiconductor electrode.
A method of chemically attaching a conductive polymer with at least one different polymer to a semiconductor electrode surface comprising attaching a coupling reagent to a selected one of a monomer of said conductive polymer, a monomer of said at least one different polymer and said electrode surface, and thereafter chemically attaching said coupling reagent to a remaining unattached one of said monomer of said conductive polymer, said monomer of said at least one different polymer and said electrode surface, and thereafter copolymerizing said monomer of said conductive polymer and said monomer of said at least one different polymer to effect covalent attachment of said monomer of said conductive polymer and said monomer of said at least one different polymer to an oxide semiconductor electrode and coordinative attachment of said monomer of said conductive polymer and said monomer of said at least one different polymer to a non-oxide semiconductor electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.