Chemical Oxidative Synthesis and Characteristion of Organica acid Doped Soluble Conducting Poly(o-anisidine)

Abstract

Synthesis of poly(o-anisidine) with and without acrylic acid doping is carried out by chemical oxidative polymerization method. This is a new polymerization method for the direct synthesis of the emeraldine salt of poly(o-anisidine), i.e. it is directly soluble in known organic solvent such as m-cresol, N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), DMSO, DMF, etc. without the need for a conversion of salt phase to base form. The reaction is unique since it eliminates the post processing step which involves neutralization of emeraldine salt to form emeraldine base and again reprotonating the base with a secondary protonic acid. The acrylic acid doped polymer prepared using tartaric acid is comparatively more soluble in m-cresol and NMP than the poly(o-anisidine) prepared without acrylic acid. UV-visible spectra for acrylic acid doped poly(o-anisidine) reveals the coil conformation at higher wavelength ~800–1000 nm along with sharp peak ~440 nm, which may be attributed to secondary doping due to extended coil conformation. Whereas in the presence of NMP as a solvent, the extended tail at higher wavelength disappears while a sharp peak (~630 nm) is observed representing the polymer insulting emeraldine base form. This fact confirms the effect of the solvent on the polymer properties. This is further manifested by the FT-IR spectral studies. Broad and intense band at ~3300–3200cm–1 and 1100–1200 cm–1 in acrylic acid doped polymer accounts for higher degree of doping. The conductivity of acrylic acid doped poly(o-anisidine) is greater than poly(o-anisidine) without acrylic acid. The change in resistance of tartaric acid doped poly(o-anisidine) prepared in acrylic acid media upon its exposure to ammonia vapor suggests the applicability of these polymeric materials for ammonia.