Elaboration of Voltage and Ion Exchange Stimuli-Responsive Conducting Polymers with Selective Switchable Liquid-Repellency

In this work, we report the possibility to selectively switch by voltage and anion exchange the water-repellent properties, in comparison with the oil-repellent properties, of copolymers containing both fluorinated chain (EDOT-F8) and pyridinium (EDOT-Py(+)) moieties. Here, the fluorinated chains are necessary to reach superhydrophobic properties while the pyridinium moieties allow the switching in the wettability by counterion exchange. Because, conducting polymers can exist in their oxidized and reduced state, here, we report also the switching of their wettability by voltage. The best properties (superhydrophobic properties with low hysteresis and sliding and good oleophobic properties) are obtained for a % of EDOT-Py(+) of 25 %. Surprisingly, by reducing the polymer by changing the voltage, a selective decrease in the contact angle of water is observed, whereas that of oils (diiodomethane and hexadecane) remain unchanged, making it possible to have higher contact angles with diiodomethane than with water. Here, the switching in the wettability is due to the change of the water droplet from the Cassie-Baxter state to the Wenzel state by changing the voltage. Because of the presence of highly polar pyridinium groups and their perchlorate counterions, the wettability of oil droplets (diiodomethane and hexadecane) is not significantly affected. This effect is confirmed by changing the counterions with highly hydrophobic ones (C8F17SO3(-), Tf2N(-), or BF4(-)). Such materials are excellent candidates for oil/water separation membranes.