Alternate network film of thiol group-terminated polythiophene and gold nanoparticle

The thiol group-terminated polythiophenes were prepared via the Pd-catalyzed coupling reaction of the bromo group-terminated polythiophene derivatives and methylthiophenylboronic acid, and were mixed with the nanometer-sized gold particle to form a self-assembled network film of the alternate conjugation of the polythiophene with the gold nanoparticle. The electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the films supported the formation of a polythiophene/gold nanoparticle alternate network structure through the S–Au linkages. The high electric conductivity and its low activation energy on the network film suggested that the conductive characteristic of the film originated from that of the π-conjugated polythiophene backbone connected with the gold nanoparticle.