Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry
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Topic Vibrational spectroscopy and spectroelectrochemistry of conducting polymers
Supervisor Zuzana Morávková, Ph.D.
Department Vibrational Spectroscopy
Description Conducting polymers (such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene or polyindole) are a class of materials with wide use reaching from electronics through catalysis to biomedicine. They can be prepared in various forms including thin films, colloids, or conductive gels. Their macroscopic properties, and thus their application potentials, are closely related to their molecular structure and nanostructure – their level of oxidation, concentration of defects, type of charge carriers, intermolecular interactions and chain ordering. These properties are reflected in the vibrational spectra of the materials, infrared and Raman spectroscopies are thus widely used methods of studying conducting polymers. In addition, methods of vibrational spectroscopy can be coupled with electrochemical experiments which allows for following the molecular structure of the materials in situ.
In this doctoral work, the methods of vibrational spectroscopy and spectroelectrochemistry will be applied to perspective conducting polymers (mainly polypyrrole, poly(3,4-ethylendioxythiophene) and polyindole) prepared for applications such as wastewater processing, tissue engineering and electrodes and separators for lithium-ion batteries.
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