3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene(EDOT)

3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) has a wide range of uses and involves many fields.
EDOT is a key monomer in the preparation of conductive polymers. By chemical oxidation polymerization or electrochemical polymerization, with oxidants or applied electric fields, EDOT can be polymerized into poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT). This PEDOT has high electrical conductivity, excellent environmental stability and good film-forming properties. In electronic devices, PEDOT is often used as the electrode material, such as organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), which can improve the electron transport efficiency and increase the luminous performance of the device; in solar cells, it can improve the charge transfer between the electrode and the active layer, and improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the battery.
In the field of sensors, EDOT has also developed its strengths. By copolymerizing or modifying specific recognition molecules with EDOT on the surface of PEDOT, a sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity can be prepared. For example, it is used to detect biomolecules, such as glucose, dopamine, etc., and can sense the concentration of biomolecules through the change of PEDOT conductivity, achieving rapid and accurate detection, which is of great significance for biomedical detection.
Furthermore, in the field of smart materials, EDOT-related polymers can be used to prepare smart color-changing materials and shape memory materials due to physical properties such as color and volume changes under electric fields. For example, smart windows can adjust the light transmittance according to changes in the external environment to achieve energy saving purposes.
In addition, in terms of anti-corrosion coatings, EDOT polymer coatings can provide cathodic protection and barrier layer for metals by virtue of their conductivity and dense structure, effectively delaying the corrosion rate of metals, and have promising prospects in the field of metal protection.

There are several methods for the synthesis of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT).
One is to use 3,4-dihydroxythiophene as the starting material. This raw material reacts with excess halogenated ethane in an alkaline environment. The base can be selected from potassium carbonate or the like, in an appropriate solvent such as acetonitrile, heated and refluxed. After nucleophilic substitution reaction, the hydroxyl group is replaced by ethoxy group to obtain EDOT. The raw materials of this route are relatively easy to obtain, and the reaction conditions are relatively mild. However, the purity of the raw material has a great influence on the product, and the post-reaction treatment may require cumbersome separation operations.
The second is to use thiophene as the starting material. Thiophene is first sulfonated to introduce a sulfonic acid group to obtain 3-thiophene sulfonic acid. After that, under specific conditions, it undergoes a condensation reaction with ethylene glycol, and then through a reduction step, the sulfonic acid group is removed and the ethylene glycol structure is constructed, and the final EDOT is obtained. This method has a little more steps, but it does not require harsh reaction equipment, and the reaction selectivity of each step can be optimized, which can improve the yield and purity of the product.
Another method is to use 2,5-dibromothiophene as the starting material. First, it is made into Grignard reagent with magnesium powder, and then reacted with diethylene glycol dicarbonate. After a series of conversions, the target product EDOT is obtained. The method requires a strict anhydrous and anaerobic environment, and the preparation and reaction conditions of Grignard reagent are relatively high. However, if the operation is proper, high-purity products can be obtained, and the reaction route is novel, providing a different idea for the synthesis of EDOT.

3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) has various specific properties. Its high electrical conductivity can significantly increase the electrical conductivity of materials in conductive polymer systems, such as poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT/PSS), which is widely used in organic electronic devices. If organic Light Emitting Diode, organic solar cells, etc., with high electrical conductivity, device resistance is reduced, and energy transmission and conversion efficiency are increased.
Good stability, excellent chemical and thermal stability. Chemically, it can resist the erosion of many chemical reagents, and it is not easy to chemically react with other substances in the environment to cause structural and performance changes; in terms of heat, it can also maintain its own structural stability at high temperatures, without decomposition or deterioration. This property makes materials containing EDOT suitable for high temperature or complex chemical environments.
Good solubility, with certain solubility in some organic solvents. This facilitates its processing and molding. Researchers can select organic solvent-soluble EDOT according to their needs, and prepare materials or devices with specific shapes and properties through solution spin coating, casting, etc., to broaden application routes.
High polymerization activity, prone to polymerization, rapid and efficient polymerization into polymer by chemical or electrochemical polymerization. The polymerization process is easy to control, and the molecular weight, structure and morphology of the polymer can be precisely controlled to obtain materials that meet different application requirements, such as porous conductive materials with specific pore sizes and porosity, which are used for supercapacitor electrodes to increase their specific capacitance and charge-discharge performance.

3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) has significant advantages over other similar materials. EDOT has excellent electrochemical polymerization properties, which can be easily polymerized under mild conditions, resulting in uniform and stable conductive polymer films. This property makes EDOT-based conductive polymers perform well in various electrochemical devices, such as supercapacitors and electrochemical sensors, which can effectively improve the charge-discharge efficiency and sensing sensitivity of the device.
Furthermore, the polymer formed by EDOT has high electrical conductivity. In the field of conductive materials, high electrical conductivity is crucial, which can greatly reduce resistance loss and enhance electronic transmission capacity. This makes EDOT stand out in application scenarios such as organic conductive circuits, electromagnetic shielding materials, etc., and strongly promotes the development of electronic equipment to high efficiency and miniaturization.
Moreover, EDOT has good chemical stability. In the face of different chemical environments, it is not easy to chemically react and can maintain its own performance for a long time. This advantage makes EDOT-containing materials work stably in harsh environments, such as high humidity and chemical corrosion environments, greatly broadening its application range. Whether it is outdoor electronic equipment or detection devices in chemical production, it can operate reliably with its stability.
In addition, EDOT has relatively good solubility and has a certain solubility in some organic solvents. This facilitates the processing and preparation of materials, whether it is solution spin coating, inkjet printing and other processes, can be smoothly implemented due to its good solubility, providing convenience for large-scale preparation of high-performance conductive materials, reducing production costs, and improving production efficiency.

In today's world, people are quite concerned about the price range of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) in the market. However, it is not easy to determine its price, because the market is unstable, and the price changes with many factors.
Looking at the records of the past, the price of EDOT often varies according to quality, origin, and supply and demand. If its quality is high, it comes from a famous factory, and there are many people in the market who need it, but there are few people who supply it, the price will be high; conversely, if the quality is ordinary, there are many places of origin, and the supply exceeds the demand, the price may be more affordable.
According to past knowledge, the price of EDOT ranges from hundreds to thousands of yuan per kilogram. If it is an ordinary grade commonly used in industry, it can be obtained per kilogram or several hundred yuan when the supply is sufficient; however, if it is a high-purity grade suitable for fine scientific research, the price per kilogram or several thousand yuan.
However, this is only an approximate number. In fact, in the market, its price may change according to the times, or it may vary according to the scale and channels of transactions. Therefore, in order to know the exact price range of EDOT at present, it is necessary to carefully observe the real-time market conditions and consult the industry to obtain its accurate number.