Copolymerization of Pyrrole with N-Pentyl and N-Dodecylpyrrole: The Electroactivity, Conductivity and Morphology of Nanocopolymers in Relation to Monomeric Composition

Copolymerizations of pyrrole (Py) with N-pentylpyrrole (NPPy) and N-dodecyl-pyrrole (NDPy) were carried out by chemical and electrochemical oxidation methods. Nanoparticles made of conjugate copolymers with different feed ratios of monomers were prepared by chemical polymerization (conventional and interfacial methods) in presence of iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3.6H2O) as the oxidant. Nanostructure copolymers with higher conductivity were synthesized by simply tuning the preparation conditions in a two-phase medium (toluene-water as solvents). The N- pentylpyrrole and N-dodecylpyrrole monomers were synthesized with higher purity from pyrrole. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and four probe conductivity measurement techniques were applied for the characteri- zation of the copolymers. The conductivity of the copolymers obtained by interfacial method using toluene as an organic phase was 5-6 times higher than the copolymer obtained by a conventional method (for molar ratio of Py:NPPy, 30:70). In electrochem- ical method, copolymer thin films were synthesized with different feed ratios of monomers by cyclic voltammetry in lithium perchlorate-acetonitrile (LiClO4/CH3CN) electrolyte on the surface of the glassy carbon (GC) as the working electrode. Deposition conditions on the GC, influence of the molar ratio of monomers on the electroactivity and formation of copolymers were studied using cyclic voltammetry.