Plasma polymerized thiophene using intense and highly energetic atmospheric pressure micro plamsa jet for polymeric batteries

Summary form only given. Conducting polymers that combine with flexibility and processability can be used in polymeric batteries, flexible displays, antistatic coatings, and bio-medical applications. Polythiothene (PTh) is one of the conductive polymers, which is stable in air and can be easily processed. Existing PTh films have been prepared by conventional method like chemical synthesis or electrochemical polymerization. Plasma has been used for the preparation of PTh¹. Vacuum plasmas and radio frequency (RF) atmospheric plasmas are the most common methods for depositing plasma-derived thin films and nanoparticles. However, the necessary equipment is difficult to operate and maintain as well as being large and expensive because of vacuum process and matching, respectively. Here, we report the use of a novel intense and highly energetic atmospheric pressure plasma jet array using direct plasma jet-to-jet coupling effects^{2, 3} to deposit high functional plasma-polymerized thiophene (PPTh) for lithium-ion battery application. The newly proposed atmospheric pressure micro-plasma jet array device can generate the intense plasma mode with a strong plasma emission and high plasma particle energy. PPTh was successfully deposited using the proposed intense, highly energetic, and high-density atmospheric pressure plasma jet at a sinusoidal wave with a peak value of 16 kV and a frequency of 33 kHz. PPTh on glass substrates were characterized by SEM, FTIR, and IR analysis of intense plasma. The deposited plasma polymers revealed the excellent plasma polymerization and matched with the spectrum of polythiophene. Plasma polymerized thiophene on LiCoO₂ electrode for lithium-ion battery has successfully deposited and revealed excellent electrical properties.