This Application Note is intended to provide the reader with a general framework for
characterization of an electroactive polymer film. Electropolymerization is a convenient way
to control film growth either through repeated cycling, potential steps, or current steps.
Examination of the film redox behavior in monomer-free, fresh electrolyte provides insight on doping and dedoping of these polymer films.
Polybithiophene films were assembled by cycling an Au-coated 10 MHz quartz crystal
between 0 and 1.5 V in the presence of 1 mM bithiophene solution containing 100 mM
tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) in acetonitrile (MeCN). Potentials are reported
against a Ag/Ag+ pseudo-reference electrode. The Teflon® cell was outfitted with a Teflon
o-ring to prevent swelling from the acetonitrile and placed inside a VistaShield™. The cell was
connected to an eQCM 10M™ which was coupled to a Reference 600™. Both instruments
were connected to a computer running Resonator™ version 5.67. Bithiophene, 
electropolymerizes via a two-electron oxidation at potentials greater than ~1.25 V versus a
Ag/Ag+pseudo reference electrode.