Water-Soluble Phthalocyanine with Ionogenic Groups as a Molecular Template for Electropolymerization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene

Electrochemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) in the presence of water-soluble sodium salt of zinc octa(3′,5′-dicarboxyphenoxy)phthalocyaninate containing 16 ionogenic carboxylate groups is studied. By using electrochemical and spectral methods of monitoring the course of the electrosynthesis the EDOT polymerization in the presence of phthalocyaninate is shown to proceed at higher rate compared to that in the presence of low-molecular electrolyte (sodium acetate). The electropolymerization acceleration is discussed in terms of templating effect of locally-ordered carboxylate groups of phthalocyaninate in analogy with the EDOT template electropolymerization in the presence of polyelectrolytes. Electronic and chemical structures, morphology, spectroelectrochemical and sensor properties (with respect to ammonia) of the PEDOT composite films obtained in the presence of water-soluble phthalocyaninate are studied for the first time.