Charge-Transfer Complex of p-Aminodiphenylamine with Maleic Anhydride: Spectroscopic, Electrochemical, and Physical Properties

A new charge-transfer complex and the amide formed by the interaction between the electron donor of the p-aminodiphenylamine and the electron acceptor of maleic anhydride are investigated by spectroscopic methods. The amidation reaction is caused by proton and charge transfer between the maleic anhydride and p-aminodiphenylamine molecules. The Benesi-Hildebrand equation is used to determine the formation constant, the molar extinction coefficient and the standard Gibbs free energy of the complex by using UV/Vis spectroscopy. To reveal the electronic and spectroscopic properties of these molecules, theoretical computations are performed on the structures of maleic anhydride, p-aminodiphenylamine and the conformers of their charge-transfer complex. The charge-transfer complex and amidation reaction mechanism are also confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy and HRMS. The nature of the maleic anhydride-p-aminodiphenylamine complex is characterized by cyclic voltammetry, thermogravimetric analysis, XRD and SEM. Solid microribbons of this complex show higher thermal stability than p-aminodiphenylamine.