Solution-cast self-assembled films of perchlorate-doped oligo(3-methoxythiophene) showing a gold-like luster

Abstract

Perchlorate-doped 3-methoxythiophene oligomer was chemically synthesized, and its solutions were applied to produce films characterized by their gold-like luster which showed no degradation in the ambient atmosphere for at least one year. The oligomer is characterized by its good solvent-soluble, good film-forming, and moderate electrical conducting properties. More importantly, wide-angle and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the gold-like films have a compact periodic layered structure with a lamellar interlayer spacing of 1.10 nm and an intralayer spacing of 0.34 nm, though the oligomer involves no long alkyl chains. It was proposed that the strong gold-like luster could be related to the highly regular and compact nature of the lamellae in the oligomer films.