Poly(3 ',4 '-[bis(N,N '-ethyloxamyl)]terthiophene): A new functionalized conductive polymer with tunable pendent ethyloxamyl substituents

The electrosynthesis and the properties of a new functionalized polythiophe ne poly(3',4'-[bis(N,N'-ethyloxamyl)]terthiophene) possessing a complexing cavity grafted onto one in three thiophene units are studied. The polymer h as been characterized by means of several spectroscopic techniques (IR, Ram an, XPS). It exhibits the usual behavior of the polythiophene class of mate rial. Furthermore, it can be chemically modified, replacement of ester by a mide groups in the solid state being evidenced by XPS and IR spectroscopy. The influence of the switching reaction of the polythiophene backbone upon the microscopic properties of the pendent ethyloxamyl groups is studied. IR spectroscopy and molecular modeling indicate that the pi-electron density and the size of the complexing active center depend on the applied potentia l.