CONDUCTIVE POLYMERIC COATINGS AND METHODS
Embodiments of the invention include conductive polymeric coatings and methods of making the same. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of electrodepositing a conductive polymeric coating onto a substrate surface. The method can include contacting the substrate surface with a solution comprising a monomer, a counterion, and a solvent; exposing the solution to an electrical potential, wherein the surface serves as an electrode in the application of the electrical potential; and alternating the electrical potential between a lower potential and a higher potential to form the conductive polymeric coating on the substrate surface. Other embodiments are also included herein.
1 . A method of electrodepositing a conductive polymeric coating onto a substrate surface comprising:
contacting the substrate surface with a solution comprising a monomer, a counter ion, and a solvent;
exposing the solution to an electrical potential, wherein the surface serves as an electrode in the application of the electrical potential; and
alternating the electrical potential between a lower potential and a higher potential to form the conductive polymeric coating on the substrate surface.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein alternating the electrical potential between a lower potential and a higher potential comprises changing the electrical potential in a step change pattern.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein alternating the electrical potential between a lower potential and a higher potential comprises changing the electrical potential gradually at a particular rate of change.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the rate of change is from about 5 mV/s to about 200 mV/s.
5 . (canceled)
6 . (canceled)
7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the rate of change is from about 45 mV/s to about 55 mV/s.
8 . (canceled)
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower potential is between −1.5 V and 1.0 V.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower potential is between −0.5 V and 0.7 V.
11 . (canceled)
12 . (canceled)
13 . (canceled)
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the higher potential is between 0.5 V and 3.0 V.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the higher potential is between 0.7 V and 2.0 V.
16 . (canceled)
17 . (canceled)
18 . (canceled)
19 . (canceled)
20 . (canceled)
21 . (canceled)
22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein alternating the electrical potential comprises alternating the electrical potential between the lower potential and the higher potential from between 10 and 50 times.
23 . The method of claim 1 , the monomer comprising a monomer that polymerizes to form an electrically conductive polymer.
24 . The method of claim 1 , the conductive polymeric coating comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS).
25 . The method of claim 1 , the monomer comprising 3,4-ethylenedioxylthiophene.
26 . The method of claim 1 , the counter ion comprising a polystyrenesulfonic acid or salt thereof.
27 . The method of claim 1 , the monomer comprising 3,4-ethylenedioxylthiophene and the counter ion comprising a polystyrenesulfonate salt.
28 . The method of claim 1 , the solution further comprising an additive.
29 . The method of claim 28 , the additive comprising sodium dodecyl sulfate.
30 . (canceled)
31 . (canceled)
32 . (canceled)
33 . (canceled)
34 . The method of claim 1 , the substrate surface comprising a metal.
35 . (canceled)
36 . (canceled)
37 . A device comprising:
a substrate;
a conductive polymeric coating disposed over the substrate; wherein the conductive polymeric coating exhibits a durability that is greater than an otherwise compositionally identical conductive polymeric coating formed by a potentiostatic or galvanostatic deposition method.
38 . The device of claim 37 , the conductive polymeric coating comprising PEDOT:PSS.