Gram-scale, low-cost, rapid fabrication of high-quality width-controlled one-dimensional conducting polymer nanobelts

Gram-scale, low cost, rapid fabrication of high-quality width-controlled one-dimensional semiconducting PPD polymer nanobelts was demonstrated. The PPD nanobelts with controllable width were prepared by chemically oxidative polymerization and a quick color change was observed on the addition of FeCl3. The morphology of the remaining precipitates was characterized with optical microscope and a XL30 ESEM FEG scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at an accelerating voltage of 15 kV. The chemical composition of the obtained nanobelts was further determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis of the resulting precipitate coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slide. Raman and FTIP spectra indicate that π-π interactions between OPD oligomers could facilitate the formation of the 1D nanostructure.