Ormecon and its research partners presenting on the ICSM 2000

 

The ICSM is an International Conference held every 2 years, covering organic conductive systems (from graphite and fullerenes over donor-acceptor complex salts up to conjugated and conductive polymers). Ormecon's managing partner and president, Dr. B. Wessling, is member of the International Advisory Board since many years.

Ormecon scientists present 2 papers and are partners in research for 4 more papers:

B. Wessling, P. Kahol et al (oral presentation): ESR and magnetic susceptibility of PAni/PMMA blends
The study shows that the amorphous shell of the primary particles (containing the metallic core) is reduced during dispersion, and in contrast to the undispersed raw PAni (where only localized bipolarons are present in the shell), delocalized polarons are available. This is in line with earlier findings that PAni in such blends crosses the "insulator-to-metal transition" to the metallic side. The enormous density of state at the Fermi level (compared to much lower values for other PAni in literture) was confirmed indicating that a high charge carrier density is also necessary for the IM transition.

W. Lennartz, G. Nimtz, B. Wessling et al (oral presentation): Morphology changes in PAni/PMMA blends studied by SAXS
The mesoscopic morphology between 1 and 100 nm was studied. It was found that the primary particle (around 10 nm in size) consists of entities of 3.45 nm diameter. It is concluded that these are individual molecules forming the primary particle, which itself contains an about 8 nm big metallic core. This means, that about 8 (crystalline) molecules aggregate to form a homogeneous metallic space. It was found that the primary particles significantly decrease in diameter with higher concentration and conductivity. Secondary particles (agglomerates of primary particles) are found with up to 60 nm in size.


J. Posdorfer, B. Wessling (Poster): Oxidation of copper in the presence of the Organic Metal polyaniline
A quantitative study is presented showing the passivation of copper by our PAni. Whereby etching with sulfuric acid leads to a continuous increase of Cu(I)- and Cu(II) oxides [with f(t)], PAni forms a complex with Cu(I), and the Cu(II) oxide is formed at a slower rate [with f(t1/2)] reaching a finite thickness much thinner than when oxidized after acid etching.


H. Ladebusch, T. Strunskus, J. Posdorfer and B. Wessling (Poster): Chemical interaction at copper/polyaniline interfaces
more basic analyses on the reaction mechanism between PAni and copper.


G. Rangarajan, B. Wessling et al (Poster): Low temperature sensor with PAni/PMMA blend
Advanced results from studies of the conduction mechanism in these blends, which are on the metallic side of the IM transition, and description of a potential use of such blends as cryomagnetic low temperature sensors.


G. Delmas-Patterson, B. Wessling et al (Poster): Calorimetric studies on PAni-NMP dispersions
Between 70 and 90° C, an exothermic phase transition is found for the interaction of NMP with PAni. Depending on concentration around -2,000 and -20,000 J/g, resp., have been measured (the higher value for the lower concentration, indicating a higher specific surface area accessible during dispersion to smaller particles at lower concentration). We assume that the energy represents the exchange of the adsorbed water layer (on the colloidal PAni  particles) by an NMP layer including the solution heat of water in NMP. At lower T, before this phase change occurs, NMP is obviously wetting the water layer around the PAni particles.

Moreover, the conference had for the first time an Industrial Award for the most innovative scientific contribution in the last two years, sponsored by the Industry. The Jury has decided to award the price of 10.000 $ to Bertram Batlogg and his group. Here is the Award Ceremony speech.

The Jury consisted of

  • Dr. B. Wessling (Ormecon Chemie, D), speaker
  • Prof. A. J Heeger (Uniax, USA)
  • Prof. K. Hummelen (nominated by ECN, NL)
  • Dr. F. Jonas (Bayer AG, D)
  • Prof. D. Meissner (nominated by Agrolinz, AU)

 

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