FULLY CONJUGATED CONDUCTIVE GELS - SYNTHE SIS AND FIRST CHARACTERIZATIONS

Conducting polymers are generally one-dimensional and compounds of hig her dimensionality are expected to exhibit specific properties (especi ally conductivity). That is the reason why we have decided to prepare fully conjugated structures exhibiting a dimensionality d>2 by crossli nking poly(3-n-octylthiophene) chains with different trithienylbenzene s. Four trithienyibenzenes have been prepared and characterized. They have been copolymerized with 3-n-octylthiophene in various concentrati ons. After reaction, we have obtained a fully soluble part (in CHCl3) and an insoluble part except in two cases where only a fully soluble p art was obtained. The insoluble copolymers swell in apolar solvents (C HCl3, toluene...). The swelling ratio increases linearly with decreasi ng crosslink ratio, indicating that no segregation of the crosslinks o ccurs. We have determined the upper limit of the crosslink ratio in th e insoluble copolymers assuming that the fully soluble part only consi sts of poly(3-n-octylthiophene). The doped insoluble copolymers exhibi t conductivities similar to the one of poly(3-n-octylthiophene), Furth er characterizations are in progress.