REDOX TRANSFORMATIONS OF ELECTRONIC POLYMERS AS HETEROGENEOUS STRUCTURES

The anodic and cathodic doping-undoping processes of poly-3-methylthio phene (P3MT) and polybithiophene (PBT) were studied in acetonitrilic s olutions of tetraethyl- and tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate. It w as shown that most of polymer doping charge is involved in quasi-rever sible redox transformations: both the doping and undoping processes oc cur close to the corresponding standard potentials. However, a residua l portion of positive or negative doping charge was shown to be conser ved in the polymers during their undoping and their redox transformati ons are strongly hindered. The residual charge formation within non-co nducting matrices of the neutral polymers was attributed to the polyme r heterogeneity.