Coupling reaction on gold nanoparticle to yield polythiophene/gold nanoparticle alternate network film.

The novel gold nanoparticle, which was stabilized with pi-conjugated molecules bearing functional groups at the terminals, was prepared via conventional procedure by using 5-bromo-2,2'-bithiophene-5'-thiol as a stabilizer. The gold nanoparticle (ca. 3 nm-diameter) showed good dispersion stability in various organic solvents, and its electrochemical and spectroscopic study revealed peculiar properties originated in the pi-conjugated molecular stabilizer, bithiophene derivative. The Pd-catalyzed coupling reaction on the gold nanoparticle was first achieved by using the gold nanoparticle bearing bromo groups at the particle surface and the model boronic acid molecule, 5-formyl-2-thiopheneboronic acid, to yield the terthiophene derivatives on the gold nanoparticle. The 1H-NMR, UV, and TGA analysis supported the progress of the coupling reaction on the gold nanoparticle. This Pd-catalyzed coupling reaction was applied with the borate-terminated polythiophene to form polythiophene/gold nanoparticle alternate network film. The electron microscopic images supported the formation of the network structure. The high electric conductivity on the network film suggested that the conductive characteristic of the film originated from that of the pi-conjugated polythiophene backbone connected with the gold nanoparticle.