Styrofoam Metamorphosed into Polymers for Electronics



A new study finds that with a specific chemical reaction, Styrofoam can be changed into a prized conductive polymer called PEDOT:PSS. It was recently published in JACD Au.

The study also shows how this plastic can be placed into serviceable electronic devices. The devices include silicon based solar cells and organic electrochemical transistors. 

Laurie Kayser often works with PEDOT:PSS. It’s noted as an interesting polymer that has ionic and electronic conductivity. Kayser’s interest is in finding new ways to create this material from plastic waste. 

Research teams at UD and Argonne University Began studying PEDOT:PSS. It is believed that sulfonating Polystyrene could replace PEDOT:PSS. Polystyrene is a man-made type of plastic found in packing materials.

Sulfonation Is a simple chemical reaction. A hydrogen atom is replaced by sulfonic acid. It is already used in products like dyes, and even some pharmaceuticals.

Reactions are qualified into two categories. “Hard reactions” Have a higher conversion efficiency, but need alkaline catalysts. “Soft reactions” are a Far less effective procedure. However, they require milder materials. 

In the study released, researchers were interested in finding a middle ground. 

“A reagent that is efficient enough to get really high degrees of functionalization, but that doesn’t mess up your polymer chain.” Kayser reported. 

The researchers use a well-known technique for sulfonating Small molecules. The technique revealed promising solutions in terms of efficiency and yield. They used 1,3- disulfonic acid imidazolium chloride ([Dsim]Cl)

Adding functional groups into a polymer is very difficult with a small molecule. Not only does it make it harder to separate out the unwanted byproducts, but any small errors in the polymer chain can change the entire molecules properties 

Researchers studied side effects and ways to minimize reactions through trial and error. 

Kelsey Koutsoukos is a co-author of the study and stated “ We screened different organic solvents,  different molar ratios of the sulfonating agent, And evaluated different temperatures, and times to see which conditions were the best for achieving high degrees of sulfonation.” 

The scientists found conditions that resulted in high polymer sulfonation. The conditions had minimal defects and high efficiency and used the mild sulfonating  materials! 

Researchers were able to use waste Styrofoam to begin the projects, thus creating a highly efficient way to convert waste plastic to PEDOT:PSS. 

One unforeseen discovery related to the chemistry is the ability to use stoichiometric ratios during reactions. 

“ Typically for sulfonation Polystyrene you have to use an excess of harsh reagents. Here being able to use a stoichiometric ratio Means that we can minimize the amount of waste being generated.” Koutsoukas said. 

Many scientists and researchers are laboring on up cycling and recycling. The study proves that someday global sustainability could  be a reality! 

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