Preparation of environmentally resistant conductive silica-based polymer hybrids containing tetrathiafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane charge-transfer complexes

Abstract

We report the preparation of conductive glasses based on organic-inorganic hybrids that contain charge-transfer (CT) complexes of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). Using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) as the organic component, the hybrid materials were prepared with various concentrations of CT complexes. From a series of evaluations, including light absorption and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and microscopy observations, it was confirmed that CT complexes form in the materials and are well dispersed. The hybrids that were synthesized with relatively large loading amounts of CT complexes exhibited a conductivity level similar to that of a semiconductor (∼10 -1 S cm -1). In addition, the conductivity of the synthesized hybrids was maintained during heating and changed negligibly after exposure to water.