Application of infrared-visible sum-frequency generation spectroscopy for studies of surfaces of conjugated polymers

Summary form only given. Sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful surface vibrational technique. In second-order nonlinear optical spectroscopy, SFG is forbidden in bulk media with inverse symmetry, but is necessarily allowed at surfaces or interfaces. Thus SFG is able to provide rich surface-specific vibrational information on bonding and orientation of molecules and ions at interfaces. In this contribution we demonstrated the application of SFG spectroscopy for studies of conjugated polymer/air interfaces. We investigated the surfaces of polyaniline (PANI) and poly(o-phenylenediamine) (POPD).