Hemoglobin-mediated synthesis of PEDOT: PSS: enhancing conductivity through biological oxidants

Hemoglobin- and catalase-polymerized PEDOT: PSS were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, visible and near-IR spectroscopy, FTIR, and ESR. Hemoglobin-polymerized PEDOT: PSS possesses bipolarons, while catalase-polymerized PEDOT: PSS is dominated by polarons. Use of heme-bound iron as an oxidant yields PEDOT: PSS with conductivity of 19.5 S cm(-1) in a single-step aqueous reaction.