CHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESES, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(2,5-DIMETHOXYANILINE) (PDMA) - A NOVEL, SOLUBLE, CONDUCTING POLYMER

Poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) is obtained either from chemical oxi dation with ammonium peroxydisulfate or from electro-oxidation of the corresponding monomer in aqueous hydrochloric acid. UV-Vis, H-1 NMR an d FT-IR spectroscopic data, and voltammetric studies are presented to demonstrate that the chemically and electrochemically prepared PDMA sa mples have essentially the same properties. The voltammetry of PDMA-co ated electrodes is described. It is shown that the PDMA film efficient ly catalyses the proton-dependent benzoquinone-hydroquinone couple. St udies of the electropolymerization of PDMA from different aqueous acid s reveal that the anion determines the surface morphology of the film deposited on the electrode. Preliminary results of the dependence of P DMA conductivity on pH are also presented.