In-vacuum electropolymerization of vapor-deposited source molecules into polymer films in ionic liquid

In this communication, a new in-vacuum electropolymerization process combined with vapor-phase deposition using ionic liquid (IL) is proposed, in which source molecules are sequentially introduced into an IL layer coated on a patterned electrode substrate under the control of applied electrode potential. Based on this process concept, the direct polymerization of terthiophene into polythiophene films in IL was successfully demonstrated. The process can be numerically simulated to reproduce well the dynamic time-response of the oxidative current to the vapor deposition sequence and to prove its capability to precisely control electropolymerization by the saturated oxidative current density proportional to the vapor deposition rate.