Polythiophene microspheres synthesized by transition metal mediated oxidative dispersion polymerization

For the heterogeneous oxidative polymerization of thiophene starting homogeneously in organic solvents (e.g., ethanol) using small molecule surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) generally fails to form stable dispersed phase because completely dissolved SDS cannot form micelles therein. But, if an appropriate macromolecular stabilizer with sufficient excluded volume such as polyvinylpyrrolidone is used, well dispersed polythiophene microspheres can be obtained through the steric stabilization mechanism.