POLYANILINE OLIGOMERS - SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION

Several poly(p-aniline) leucoemeraldine base oligomers were characteri sed by C-13 NMR spectroscopy. The uncapped trimer and tetramer were ob tained by a new method involving a coupling step with copper as a cata lyst in DMF. The phenylcapped tetramer, hexamer and octamer were obtai ned via the ''modified Honzl route''. The leucoemeraldine base phenylc apped tetramer has been oxidised to its emeraldine base form by silver (I) oxide in THF. The formation of two structural isomers relating to the location of the quinoid ring has been demonstrated by H-1 NMR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. The molar ratio of these two isomers has been estimated to 70:30.