Polyaniline copolymers with solvent‐mimic side chains

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe investigated new polyaniline copolymers with solvent‐mimic side chains for enhanced processability in various solvents. The solvent‐mimic side chains, benzyloxypropoxy (BOP), phenoxybutoxy (POB), and dihydroxypropoxy (DHP), were introduced into copolymers and used with nonpolar aromatic and polar alcoholic solvents, respectively. Compared to a polyaniline homopolymer, polyaniline copolymers with a small amount of side chains (<4 mol %) exhibit different physical properties, including film‐forming ability. This can be attributed to the solvent‐mimic side chains strongly interacting with the solvent and/or the polyaniline backbone. Especially, in nonpolar aromatic solvents, polyaniline copolymers with nonpolar aromatic BOP and POB side chains exhibit good film‐forming ability leading to high electrical conductivity, while the polyaniline homopolymer did not form a film. Therefore, introducing solvent‐mimic side chains in conducting polymers is a very attractive method of enhancing their processability and physical properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1986–1995