STRUCTURE AND CONDUCTIVITY IN SUBSTITUTED POLYPYRROLES - PART 1 - SYNTHESIS AND ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF N-TRIMETHYLSILYLETHOXYMETHYL-3-METHYL-4-PYRROLE CARBOXYLATE ETHYL-ESTER

The electrochemical polymerization of N-trimethylsilylethoxymethyl-3-m ethyl-4-pyrrole carboxylate ethyl ester (MPCE-SEM) in the presence of pyrrole, to give free-standing copolymer films is described. These fil ms have been characterized by surface conductivity measurements, refle ctance FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scannin g electron microscopy. Increasing the relative concentration of MPCE-S EM in the polymerization solution resulted in an increase in the propo rtion of these units in the copolymer film. Increasing the proportion of MPCE-SEM units in the copolymer resulted in a decrease in surface c onductivity. This is consistent with expectation because N-substituted polypyrroles tend to have lower conductivity values than unsubstitute d polypyrrole. Significantly, it has also been shown that the N-protec ting group of the MPCE-SEM unit can be removed after polymerization un der mild conditions in a solid phase deprotection procedure. (C) 1998 Society of Chemical Industry.