Synthesis of conducting polymer hydrogels with 2D building blocks and their potential-dependent gel-sol transitions.

Conducting polymer hydrogels with unusual 2D building blocks were synthesized in one step via a combination of oxidative coupling polymerization and non-covalent crosslinking of an amphiphilic thiophene derivative. Chemicals with standard electrode potentials higher than 0.8 V triggered disbanding of the resulting conducting polymer hydrogels, indicating the occurrence of potential-dependent gel-sol transitions. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011