Extremely Long Nanoribbons Comparable to Gecko Foot by Soft‐Template Electropolymerization From Triphenylamine‐Based Monomers

ABSTRACT Bio‐inspiration shows the importance of surface structures particularly for the wetting properties. Here, a soft‐template electropolymerization is used in micellar condition to form surface nanotubes by favoring π ‐stacking interactions. Various di‐substituted triphenylamine monomers are synthesized and studied. Each monomer electropolymerizes differently and in the polymer films, the monomer is present but with different amounts of oligomers. For the surface structures, they are more ordered at constant potential. The thiophene derivatives give relatively smooth surfaces while for the carbazole derivatives, nanotubes are often observed. Extremely long nanoribbons are even observed only with the monomer with the longest conjugation system ( N‐m‐Ph‐p‐diPh‐Cb ). The surfaces with nanoribbons are extremely hydrophobic ( θ w = 131.8°) but with extremely strong water adhesion comparable to gecko foot.