Hemoglobin-mediated synthesis of PEDOT:PSS: enhancing conductivity through biological oxidants†
Abstract
Hemoglobin- and catalase-polymerized PEDOT:PSS were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, visible and near-IR spectroscopy, FTIR, and ESR. Hemoglobin-polymerized PEDOT:PSS possesses bipolarons, while catalase-polymerized PEDOT:PSS is dominated by polarons. Use of heme-bound iron as an oxidant yields PEDOT:PSS with conductivity of 19.5 S cm−1 in a single-step aqueous reaction.