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-dodecylpyrrole(NDPy) were carried out by chemical and electrochemical oxidationmethods. Nanoparticles made of conjugate copolymers with different feed ratiosof monomers were prepared by chemical polymerization (conventional and interfacialmethods) in presence of iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3.6H2O) as the oxidant.Nanostructure copolymers with higher conductivity were synthesized by simply tuningthe preparation conditions in a two-phase medium (toluene-water as solvents). The Npentylpyrroleand N-dodecylpyrrole monomers were synthesized with higher purityfrom pyrrole. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopyand four probe conductivity measurement techniques were applied for the characterizationof the copolymers. The conductivity of the copolymers obtained by interfacialmethod using toluene as an organic phase was 5-6 times higher than the copolymerobtained by a conventional method (for molar ratio of Py:NPPy, 30:70). In electrochemicalmethod, copolymer thin films were synthesized with different feed ratios ofmonomers 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 theelectroactivity and formation of copolymers were studied using cyclic voltammetry