• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.430-438
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• 2023

In this study, we synthesized pH-controlled resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) gels through the polymerization of two starting materials: resorcinol and formaldehyde. The prepared RF gels were dried using an acetone substitution method, and they were subsequently carbonized under nitrogen atmosphere to obtain carbon xerogels (CX_Y) prepared at different pH (Y). The carbon xerogels were utilized as active materials for coin-type organic supercapacitor electrodes to investigate the influence of pH on the electrochemical properties of the carbon xerogels. The carbon xerogels prepared at lower pH (CX_9.5 and CX_10) exhibited sufficient particle growth, with a three-dimensional network of particles during the RF gel formation, resulting in the development of abundant mesopores. Conversely, the carbon xerogels prepared at higher pH (CX_11 and CX_12) retained densely packed structures of small particles, leading to pore collapse and low specific surface areas. Consequently, CX_9.5 and CX_10 showed high specific surface areas, and provided ample adsorption sites for the formation of electric double layers with electrolyte ions. Moreover, the three-dimensional particle network in CX_9.5 and CX_10 significantly enhanced electrical conductivity. The presence of well-developed mesopores in these materials further facilitated the effective transport of electrolyte ions, contributing to their superior performance as organic supercapacitor electrodes. This study confirmed that pH-controlled carbon xerogels are one of the promising active materials for organic supercapacitor electrodes. Furthermore, we concluded that pH during RF gel formation is a crucial factor determining the electrode performance of the carbon xerogels, highlighting the need for precise pH control to obtain high-performance carbon xerogel electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.467-473
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• 1996

Although a polypyrrole shows better electrical conductivity, 100∼400 ${\Omega}^{-1}cm^{-1}$, than other organic conducting polymers, its electrical conductivity will be worsen in the presence of the oxygen due to its easy oxidation. On the other hand, polythiophene shows better stability in the air while its electrcal conductivity is poor compared to the polypyrrole. We succeed to develope the mixed polymer electrode that is stable in the air and shows a good redox characteristics. The mixed polymer electrode has been prepared by the electrical polymerization of polypyrrole on the Pt electrode as 1.70 C$cm^{-2}$ and then coating with polythiophene as 0.34 C$cm^{-2}$. The polymerization rate of polythiophene was $3.89{\times}10^{-8}$ at the bare Pt electrode and $6.07{\times}10^{-8}cms^{-1}$ at the mixed polymer electrode. And the standard rate constants of each electrode were $5.16{\times}10^{-6}\;and\;3.94{\times}10^{-4} cms^{-1}$ respectively. Also, the electrocatalytic rate of the polypyrrole polymer electrode was $3.45{\times}10^{-3}cm^3mol^{-1}s^{-1}.$ We found the immobilized layer at the modified electrode acted as an electrocatalyst. Finally, this polymerization process at the Pt electrode was the electron transfer controlled, but that the mixed polymer electrode was the diffusion and charge transfer controlled.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1451-1456
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• 2012

A novel tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-based main-chain polymer (6TTF-polymer) was successfully synthesized via a condensation polymerization between a newly synthesized dihydroxy TTF derivative and a malonyl chloride, and its chemical structure was characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Molecular weight of the 6TTF-polymer (9,030 g/mol by gel permeation chromatography) was large enough to form the ductile film. The electrochemical and optical properties of the 6TTF-polymer were further estimated by cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet and photoluminescence spectroscopes. The highest occupied molecular orbital level ($E_{HOMO}$=-4.79 eV) and band-gap energy ($E_g$=1.91 eV) of the 6TTF-polymer suggested that TTF-based polymer could act as a good electron donating material for the optoelectronic applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.6-10
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• 2001

We synthesized polypyrrole (PPy) nanotubules by oxidative polymerization of the pyrrole monomer on the pore of a polycarbonate membrane. The electrochemical behavior was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance. The redox potential was about -0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode, while the potential was about 0 V for electro-synthesized PPy film. It is considered as the backbone grows according to the pore wall. Therefore, it is possible to be arranged regularly. That leads to improvement in the electron hopping. The AC impedance plot gave a hint of betterment of mass transport. PPy nanotubules have improved in mass transport, or diffusion. That is because the diffusion occurs through a thin pore wall of PPy nanotubules. The kinetic parameter of PPy nanotubules enzyme electrode with glucose solution was evaluated. The formal Michaelis constant and maximum current calculated by computer were about 23.8 mmol $dm^{-3}$ and $440\;{\mu}A$ respectively. Obviously, an affinity for the substrate and current response of the PPy nanotubules enzyme electrode are rather good, comparing with that of PPy film. What is more, the enzyme electrode is sensitive to blood sugar of a diabetic serum despite an obstruction of ascorbic acid, oxygen, some protein and/or hormone.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1341-1345
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• 2011

A novel ruthenium(II) complex, [$RuCl_2(DMSO)_2$(PhenTPy)] has been synthesized by the condensation of $RuCl_2(DMSO)_4$ with (1-(1,10-phenanthrolinyl)-2,5-di(2-thienyl)-1H-pyrrole)[PhenTPy] in $CHCl_3$ solution. The [$RuCl_2(DMSO)_2$(PhenTPy)] complex modified electrode was fabricated through the electropolymerization of the monomer in a 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP)/$CH_2Cl_2$ solution, to take advantage of the electronic communication between metal ion center by the conjugated backbone. The UV-visible spectroscopy (UV), mass spectrometry (MS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were employed to characterize the [$RuCl_2(DMSO)_2$(PhenTPy)] complex and its polymer (poly-Ru(II)Phen complex). The poly-Ru(II)Phen complex modified electrode exhibited an electrocatalytic activity to the oxidation of acetaminophen and the catalytic property was used for the analysis of acetaminophen at the concentration range between 0.09 and 0.01 mM in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0).

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.826-832
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• 2001

In this study, PPy/gold/mylar type electroactive bi-layer actuator was prepared by the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole onto the gold/mylar film and the actuation characteristics were studied using bending beam method. Conducting polymer-based actuators undergo volumetric changes due to the movement of dopant ions into the film during the electrical oxidation process. The bilayer films exhibited different actuation characteristics depending on dopant ion size. It was observed that the relatively small dopant ion (i.e. toluene sulfonate) moved into the PPy film at oxidized state, so volume expanded to result in bending motion. In case of the film having large dopant ion (i.e. dodecylbenzenesulfonate), volume expansion was observed at reduced state. This is due to the incorporation of $Na^+$ counterion with water molecules, while the large dopant ion was fixed in the film due to the limited mobility during tile redox process.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.3128-3132
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• 2010

A disposable solid-state pH sensor was realized by utilizing two nanoporous Pt (npPt) electrodes and a copolyelectrolytic junction. One nanoporous Pt electrode was to measure the pH as an indicating electrode (pH-IE) and the other assembled with copolyelectrolytic junction was to maintain constant open circuit potential ($E_{oc}$) as a solid-state reference electrode (SSRE). The copolyelectrolytic junction was composed of cationic and anionic polymers immobilized by photo-polymerization of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, making buffered electrolytic environment on the SSRE. It was expected to make. The nanoporous Pt surrounded by a constant pH excellently worked as a solid state reference electrode so as to stabilize the system within 30 s and retain the electrochemical environment regardless of unknown sample solutions. Combination between the SSRE and the pH-IE commonly based on nanoporous Pt yielded a complete solid-state pH sensor that requires no internal filling solution. The solid state pH sensing chip is simple and easy to fabricate so that it could be practically used for disposable purposes. Moreover, the solid-state pH sensor successfully functions in calibration-free mode in a variety of buffers and surfactant samples.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.85-89
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• 2008

Acrylate polymer gel electrolytes containing N-methoxymethyl-N-methylpyrrolidium bis (trifluoro - methansulfonyl) imide (MPSI) as an ionic liquid were synthesized by solution polymerization in the presence of carbonate solvent. ionic conductivity and mechanical properties of the polymer gel electrolytes were investigated by impedance analyzer and universal testing machine as a function of the amount of polymer, and ionic liquid and type of crosslinker. The maximum ionic conductivity of polymer gel electrolytes was 0.8 mS/cm at $25^{\circ}C$ with 15 wt% of polymer, 30 wt% of ionic liquid and 5 wt% of crosslinker. The mechanical analysis showed that the tensile strength of polymer gel electrolytes increased with additional polymer contents and had the maximum value of 0.5 MPa with a reasonable ionic conductivity.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.294-300
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• 1995

The photoelectrochemical behavior of polypyrrole films on Pt, glassy-C and indium tin oxide(ITO) under illumination was studied in aqueous solution containing a redox couple such as I-/I2 or Fe(CN)64-/Fe(CN)63-. Polypyrrole(PPy) was coated on Pt, glassy-C and ITO electrodes using electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole by potentiostatic method. Illumination of the PPy film results in the increase of cathodic and anodic currents at redox potentials of the redox species. These enhanced currents are caused both by the semiconductor characteristics of PPy and by the photothermal acceleration of redox reaction at PPy-electrode surface, and are dependent on the pH of redox solutions and the dopants in PPy.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2009

In order to develop a novel polymer electrolyte membrane for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), styrene monomer was graft-polymerized into poly(tetrafluoroethylene perfluoropropyl vinyl ether) (PFA) film followed by a sulfonation reaction. The graft polymerization was prepared by the $\Upsilon$-ray radiation-grafting method. Subsequently, sulfonation of the radiation-grafted film was carried out in a chlorosulfonic acid/1,2-dichloroethane (2 v/v%) solution. The chemical, physical, electrochemical and morphological properties of the radiation-grafted membranes (PFA-g-PSSA) were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The water uptake, ionic conductivity, and methanol permeability of the PFA-g-PSSA membrane were also measured. The cell performances of MEA prepared with the PFA-g-PSSA membranes were evaluated and the cell resistances were measured by an impedance analyzer. The MEA using PFA-g-PSSA membranes showed superior performance for DMFCs in comparison with the commercial Nafion 112 membrane.