Near-Infrared Responsive Composites of Poly-3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene with Fullerene Derivatives

Electrochemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene in the presence of water-soluble fullerene derivatives was investigated. The electronic structure, morphology, spectroelectrochemical, electrochemical properties and near-IR photoconductivity of composite films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with fullerenes were studied for the first time. It was shown that fullerene with hydroxyl groups creates favorable conditions for the formation of PEDOT chains and more effectively compensates for the positive charges on the PEDOT chains. The near-IR photoconductivity results from the generation of charge carriers due to electron transfer from the photoexcited PEDOT molecule to the fullerene acceptor.