Spectroscopic comparison between poly[3-(6-methoxyhexyl)thiophene]s with different steric hindrance

An alternating methoxyhexylthiophene-thiophene copolymer was synthesized fr om 3-(6-methoxyhexyl)-2,2'-bithiophene and studied chiefly by means of opti cal absorption and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results wer e compared with those of the previously obtained poly[3-(6-methoxyhexyl)-2, 5-thienylene]. The differences in the UV-Vis spectra of the two polymers in pure solvents, solvent/non-solvent mixtures and in films are discussed on the basis of the microstructure and the steric hindrance along the backbone . NMR spectroscopy revealed copolymer configuration to be regiorandom with a slight prevalence of head-to-head and tail-to-tail junctions. (C) 1999 El sevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.