Design, synthesis, characterization and development of novel organic conducting polymers with technological applications

Laburpena

In this thesis, a series of novel organic conducting polymers have been synthesized using alternative methods based on electrochemical techniques, which have allowed to broaden the knowledge in the field of the characterization by means of topological, spectroscopic, electrochemical and structural techniques. Among the variety of synthesis techniques of conducting polymers, layer-by-layer (LbL) has been one of the most important to build multilayered systems. Thus, in this thesis the LbL has shown to be an excellent procedure to explore new applications in the field of energy storage using conducting polymers. On the other hand, recently, the influence of new sustituents on functionalized conducting polymers has been proved to modify the structural, optical and physical properties of conducting polymers. Within this context, synthesis of novel functionalized conducting polymers bearing strong electron-withdrawing sustituents such as cyano group or halide atoms have been widely studied and characterized throughout this thesis. The presence of these substituents have emerged as promising candidates in the field of chemical sensors and electrochromic devices. Although the functionality of polymers or the development of new techniques are excellent procedures to synthesize and to develop new properties on the field of conducting polymers, it is worth mentioning that the substrate plays a crucial role on the electrochemical field. Accordingly, the substrates can also modify and change the properties of conducting polymers during the electropolymerization process. In this way, different substrates were employed in this work with the aim of achieving new applications in the field of corrosion inhibitors and as supercapacitors. Supercapacitors as energy storage device has been an outstanding application during this thesis. Thus, the field of nanotechnology has taken an important part in this thesis through development and design of promising hybrid nanocomposites based on conducting polymers and clay with technological applications and interesting optoelectronic properties. The contribution of theoretical techniques based on quantum mechanical calculations have allowed to predict some electronic and structural properties of conjugated polymers, which could be corroborated experimentally. The quantum mechanics is a useful tool to check experimental results and to understand mechanisms not fully understood at experimental level. Therefore, theoretical calculations have provided promising information to obtain new insights in the field of conducting polymers.