Graduation Year

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.B.E.

Degree Granting Department

Biomedical Engineering

Major Professor

Norma A. Alcantar, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Julianne P. Harmon, Ph.D.

Committee Member

John Wolan, Ph.D.

Keywords

thin films, organic dye, transparent, BEDO-TTF dye, iodine doping

Abstract

Transparency and conductivity are highly desirable qualities in materials for modern gas sensors. Polymer gas sensors have been developed in which the polymer acts as a solid electrolyte. However, these types of sensors are opaque, which limits their potential for integration with dichromatic materials. The development of a sensor integrating conductive polymer films and dichromatic materials requires the implementation of a transparent conductive polymer film. The potential of iodine-doped bisphenol-a polycarbonate films containing bis(ethylenedioxy)-tetrathiafulvalene (BEDO-TTF) dye for sensor applications will be tested through characterization of the films at various stages of their fabrication using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), transmission Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Optical Microscopy (OM), and Four Point Probe conductivity measurements (FPP). FTIR results show that there is an interaction between the polycarbonate matrix and the dye-iodine complex. Measured resistivities of the iodine doped films range from 148 Omega-cm to 2.82 kOmega-cm depending on the concentration of the iodine and exposure time. The imaging techniques used show a significant difference in the structure and the surface of the iodine doped-PC-BEDO-TTF films with respect to the bare polycarbonate films or the films mixed with the organic dye. It is also clear that the surface roughness of the prepared conductive films increases with iodine loading. These films have the potential to be used in sensor or photovoltaic applications.

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