Digital Commons Network^™

Electrochemical Detection Of Microorganisms Using Conducting Polymers, Andrew Ian Minett

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The rapid detection of microorganisms in the food, pharmaceutical, clinical medicine, environmental and agricultural industries is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, the best current technology has been able to offer is detection times of several days for quantitative results. The development of conducting polymer films has led to an increase in research activity involving the use of these materials for the design and application of sensors. Their ability to undergo electrochemical switching between oxidised and reduced states, which is correlated with the movement of anions and cations, has seen conducting polymers successfully used to produce electrochemical responses for particular species …

Electrochemical And Photoelectrochemical Studies Of Functionalised Polythiophenes, Charlotte Cutler

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Thiophene is a widely exploited precursor for the synthesis of environmentally stable, conducting electroactive polymers. The ease of substitution at the C3 position of the thiophene allows the incorporation of a wide range of substituents that are designed to tailor the electronic properties of the ensuing polymer for a variety of applications. Substituents are predominantly attached to the thiophene via a saturated alkyl or alkoxy linker and the effect of the substituent upon the polymer is often of a steric, rather than an electronic nature.

In this thesis the effect of attaching ρ-substituted phenyl substituents via an alkene linker to …

Synthesis And Characterisation Of Novel Conducting Electroactive Polymers For Metal Ion Transport, Jelders Michael Davey

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The use of Conducting Electroactive Polymers (CEPs) to transport metal ions has been employed in recent years. The use of polyelectrolytes (PE^θs) to facilitate this has only been recently exploited. The first part of this work examined the preparation, characterisation and use of a polypyrrole/poly(vinyl phosphate) (PPy/PVP) polymer in the transport of various metal ions. PPy/PVP was prepared electrochemically using potentiodynamic, potentiometric and potentiostatic methods from aqueous solutions of pyrrole and polyvinyl phosphate). Post-polymerisation cyclic voltammograms (CVs) indicated that galvanostatic growth gave rise to thin films that were the most electroactive and subsequent growth experiments employed this technique. …

Electrochemically Polymerised Acrylics As Adhesion Promoting Layers At A Metal/Polymer Interface, Sandra Leigh Cram

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Electrochemical polymerisation (ECP) of non conducting polymers to form thin, passive films on electrodes has received attention in recent years as a potential adhesion promotion technique. Work on carbon electrodes with applications in the carbon fibre composite industry have shown that it is possible to enhance adhesion of carbon fibres to the composite matrix through ECP pretreatments. ECP to produce passive coatings on metals has also been studied, however much of this work is concerned with production of corrosion inhibiting films, rather than adhesion promoting layers. ECP methods are a promising alternative to the chromate pretreatments and primers presently used …