Electrochemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene in aqueous solution containing N-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films were synthesized electrochemically by direct anodic oxidation of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) at relatively low monomer concentration (0.005–0.01 mol L−1) in aqueous solution containing green nonionic sugar-based surfactant N-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DM), which has good biocompatibility and biodegradability. The moderate interaction between DM through the hydroxy groups and EDOT monomer led to the decrease of monomer oxidation onset. Different surfactants, such as anionic sodium dodecylbenzenesulfate (SDBS), nonionic triton X-100 (TX100), were also tested for comparison. As-formed PEDOT films were characterized electrochemically and spectroscopically using FTIR and UV–visible techniques. PEDOT nano-materials with good thermal stability and conductivity of 26.2 S cm−1 can be synthesized in water-DM micellar solution, which can be proved by the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PEDOT prepared from water-DM media with good biocompatibility can be a good candidate for application in biosensors.