The Synthesis of Semiconducting Polymers
in a Low-Temperature Plasma

A. I. Drachev^a and A. B. Gil’man^b

^a Karpov Research Institute of Physical Chemistry, ul. Vorontsovo pole 10, Moscow, 105064 Russia

^b Enikolopov Institute of Synthetic Polymer Materials, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Profsoyuznaya ul. 70, Moscow, 117393 Russia

e-mail: nano-tech@mail.ru; plasma@ispm.ru

Received January 31, 2008

Abstract—The paper presents a brief description of the plasma chemical method for synthesizing semicon-
ducting polymers and its development at Karpov Research Institute of Physical Chemistry. The procedures used
in the synthesis of such polymeric structures with the use of electric discharges of various types are analyzed.
The method for the preparation of semiconducting polymers in a dc discharge developed by these authors is
considered in detail. Films of thickness from 20 nm to 10 m synthesized by this method are homogeneous,
continuous, do not contain impurities, and possess high thermal stability. These polymeric films are character-
ized by high intrinsic (up to 10^{4 1} cm¹) and impurity (up to 10^{2 1} cm¹) conductivity, that is, contain fairly
extended polyconjugation chains. A wide range of compounds can be used as starting materials. For many of
them, polymers cannot be obtained by other methods. It is assumed that polymer chain growth occurs through
the addition of radical cations formed under the action of active plasma components.

DOI: 10.1134/S0036024408100166

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