SYNTHESIS AND POLYMERIZATION OF 2-ALKYLANILINES

2-Alkylanilines with alkyl groups in the range of 4-15 carbon atoms we re synthesized via a known method as well as via a more general path w hich should allow the introduction of a larger variety of substituted alkyl groups into the ortho position of aniline, e.g., alkenyl or OH, NH2, COOH, and phenyl functionality. Polymerization was found to be ac hievable according to a method previously described for unsubstituted aniline, i.e., chemically with Cu(ClO4)2 . 6H2O in acetonitrile. Intri nsic viscosities of the obtained poly (2-alkylaniline) s lay between 0 .10 and 0.26 dL/g (97% H2SO4 at 30-degrees-C). The dc conductivity of the HCl salts decreased with increasing length of the alkyl side chain s from 1 S/cm (polyaniline) over 3 x 10(-4) S/cm [poly (2-butylaniline )] to 1 x 10(-6) S/cm poly (tridecylaniline). Further characterization of the polymers were performed by means of UV/VIS/NIR-and-IR spectros copy, in dilute solutions or as KBr pellets, respectively, and by solu bility tests.