CHAPTER 10: Poly(oxythiophene)s

Poly(oxythiophene)s exhibit low oxidation potential, better thermal and chemical stability in doped form, higher transmittance and conductivity as compared to other conjugated polymers. Apart from the syntheses and characterization of poly(oxythiophene)s, this chapter classifies different derivatives of poly(oxythiophene)s as poly(3-alkoxythiophene)s, poly(3,4-dilkoxythiophene)s and poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene)s. Various synthetic routes are divided into two broad categories, a) oxidative polymerization; and b) transition-metal-assisted polymerization. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is one of the most important member of Poly(oxythiophene)s and has been used extensively for various optoelectronic device applications.