Equipment for combinatorial electrochemical polymerization and high-throughput investigation of electrical properties of the synthesized polymers

The first automated system for combinatorial synthesis and high throughput investigation of electrical properties of conductive polymers is described. The equipment provides a polymerization of defined mixtures of monomers into a thin layer on the addressed electrodes of an electrode array followed by measurements of current-voltage characteristics. The electrodes have an interdigital configuration, specially designed for four-point measurements. A programmed addition of gases or liquids provides automated investigation of the influence of different substances on the synthesized polymers. The results of an experimental test of the system are presented. This equipment can be used for synthesis and electrical characterization of conductive polymers and multilayer polymer structures, for development of chemical sensors, organic electronic devices and other thin film functional structures.