Sample interview questions: Describe any experience you have in conducting research on the synthesis and characterization of conducting polymers.
Sample answer:
“Conducting polymers have long fascinated me for their intriguing properties and potential applications. Throughout my doctoral studies, a major area of focus has been the synthesis and characterization of these materials. I’ve gained substantial experience in this domain, exploring a range of techniques and methodologies:
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Chemical Synthesis:
- Expertise in various polymerization techniques, including:
- Oxidative polymerization: Synthesized conducting polymers like polypyrrole, polyaniline, and polythiophene through oxidative methods.
- Electropolymerization: Conducted electropolymerization reactions to obtain thin films of conducting polymers on electrodes.
- Vapor deposition polymerization: Explored vapor deposition methods to create conducting polymer coatings with tailored properties.
- Optimization of reaction parameters: Conducted detailed investigations to optimize reaction conditions for achieving high-quality polymers with desired properties.
- Purification and characterization: Developed protocols for purifying and characterizing the synthesized conducting polymers.
- Employed spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, UV-Vis, Raman) to analyze the chemical structure and composition of the polymers.
- Determined molecular weights and polydispersity indices using techniques like gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS).
- Expertise in various polymerization techniques, including:
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Electrochemical Characterization:
- Proficient in cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge, and impedance spect… Read full answer