High aspect ratio, functionalizable conducting copolymer nanobundles

Abstract

High aspect ratio (50 : 1), 10 μm long, multifunctional and electrically conductive nanobundles are templated via conformal oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) of a copolymer of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and 3-thiopheneethanol (3TE). The presence of –OH groups provides a platform, as depicted by covalently attaching silica nanoparticles, to fabricate high surface area hybrid nanomaterials. Furthermore, conformal surface modification with a vapor-deposited poly(perfluorodecyl acrylate) (PPFDA) coating on top of the multifunctional nanobundles renders the surface hydrophobic and oleophobic and provides the nanostructures with additional stability against ambient moisture and possible solvent spillage.