Solution processible sulfosuccinate doped polypyrrole: Preparation, spectroscopic and spectroelectrochemical characterization

Oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of salts of two diesters of sulfosuccinic acid, namely sodium di(ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate ( abbreviated as NaDEHSS) or sodium dihexylsulfosuccinate (abbreviated as NaDHSS) have been investigated. It has been demonstrated that the processibility of the resulting polymer depends on the selection of an appropriate oxidant/dopant couple. If ammonium peroxydisulfate is used as the oxidizing agent the resulting polypyrrole combines solution processibility with spectroscopic and spectroelectrochemical properties of classical intractable doped polypyrrole. For these reasons polypyrrole doped with sulfosuccinate anions can be considered as a very promising material for the fabrication of polymer modified electrodes in various sensing devices or as a material for the fabrication of hole transporting layers in polymer photovolatic cells.