Copolymers of N-methylpyrrole and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:: structural, physical and electronic properties

The structural, electric and electronic properties of copolymers derived from mixtures of N-methylpyrrole and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) with various concentration ratios have been investigated and, additionally, compared with those of the corresponding homopolymers. The electropolymerization kinetics of all the generated copolymers and the homopolymers was examined in terms of current productivity using chronoamperometry. The chemical structure of the linkages between adjacent monomers and the microstructure of the chains were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations, respectively. The results indicate that the linkages between monomeric units formed during the anodic copolymerization are of the alpha-alpha type, while the microstructure of the copolymers depends on the EDOT content. Theoretical calculations were also used to examine the electronic properties of the systems under study, while the conductivity and the electrical stability were studied using the sheet-resistance method. Interestingly, the electric properties are consistent with the random and block microstructures predicted for the copolymers with low and high EDOT content, respectively. (c) 2006 Society of Chemical Industry