Characterization of electrochemically synthesized alkylpyrrole intrinsically conducting polymers

Abstract

This work concerns some electrochemical polymerizations of pyrrole derivatives in order to obtain intrinsically conducting polymers: the study was mainly concerned with the electrochemical polymerization of 3-alkyl substituted pyrroles with different chain lengths (3-hexylpyrrole, 3-decylpyrrole, 3-hexadecylpyrrole). Different experimental conditions were adopted with 3-alkylpyrroles: different solvents (propylene carbonate, acetonitrile), different counterions (ClO4−, BF4−, NO3−, PF6−, TsO−) and different current densities (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mA/cm2). The synthesized conducting polymers were characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and electrical conductivity measurements to study the relations connecting the experimental conditions of synthesis with the structure and electrical properties of the polymers. Thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and isothermal heatings were performed in order to evaluate the polymer's thermal stability. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.