ELECTROCHEMICAL COPOLYMERIZATION OF THIOPHENE AND ANILINE

In this study homopolymer, copolymer, and composites of aniline and th iophene were synthesized in nitrogen atmosphere by using TEATFB (Tetra ethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate) and Lithium perchlorate as supportin g electrolytes. In order to analyze their structure and characteristic s, IR spectrums of the samples were taken and thermogravimetric analys is (TGA) was applied. Also, the samples were photographed under scanni ng electron microscope (SEM) for microstructure analysis and their ele ctrochemical properties were observed and conductivities were obtained by four probe method. Homopolymerization and copolymerization reactio ns were carried out in two different solvents viz. acetonitrile and be nzonitrile in order to see the solvent effect on polymerization. Howev er, changing the solvent was found to have no significant effect on th e resulting properties. It was concluded that changing the supporting electrolyte caused a structural difference in the resulting homopolyme r. It also affects the properties considerably. During the bilayer pre paration changing the coating turn led to variations in the properties of the samples. When polythiophene (PT) was coated with polyaniline ( PA), the resulting system was a composite. However, in coating PA with PT the system was identified to be a copolymer. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.