Electro-induced oxidative polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole

In this study, a novel procedure to increase the yield of the non-crosslink ed, photoconductive, white form of linear poly(N-vilzylcarbazole) (LPVCz) i s reported. The yield of LPVCz is increased (up to 53%) by the addition of catalytic amounts of eerie ammonium nitrate as an oxidant during the electr ochemical polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole in a divided electrochemical c ell. The concentration of Ce(IV) remained constant during the polymerizatio n since Ce(III) is readily oxidized to Ce(IV) electrochemically. Since the electrochemical oxidation of Ce(lll) to Ce(IV) took place simultaneously at the anode, the deposition of dark green crosslinked polyvinylcarbazole on the electrode surface, which hinders the formation of white LPVCz, can be p revented. The Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet-visible and fluoresce nce spectra of white LPVCz showed that the structures of polymers are the s ame as those produced by conventional polymerization. Copyright (C) 1999 Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Ltd.