Advanced Materials, Vol.13, No.1, 47-47, 2001
Micropatterns of poly(4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bithiophene) generated by the scanning electrochemical microscope
Micropatterning of a conducting polymer using the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) in the feedback mode is described, in which the local polymerization is performed on a monomer-covered surface with an ultramicroelectrode. The effects of scan speed and tip-substrate distance on the micropatterns are reported, along with a newly developed reading procedure-based on the reduction of iodine-that enables characterization of the synthesized polymer. The SECM and its local polymerization possibilities extend the microtechnological applications of conducting polymers.