Effect of poly(n-isopropyl acrylamide-co-itaconic acid) on the chemical polymerization of pyrrole with (NH4)(2)[Ce(NO3)(6)]

The chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole (Py) by eerie ammonium nit rate (CAN) in the presence of polyitaconic acid and its copolymers (Polymer ) containing 75 and 50mole% N-isopropylacrylamide were investigated. The ef fects of copolymer composition and addition order of the components on the reaction mechanism were studied by following the absorption spectra of the soluble reaction products between 200 and 1100 nm. As to the W-visible, FTIR and conductivity results of soluble products obta ined from Polymer-CAN-Py system, it was assumed that the pyrrole polymeriza tion by chemical oxidation was inhibited in the presence of the water-solub le polyelectrolyte because an important part of eerie ammonium nitrate was consumed to produce radicals on the chains. On the other hand, the role of the copolymers in the case of Py-CAN was mainly to prevent precipitation of polypyrrole. Consequently, the reaction prepared according to the first or der of addition of the reactants favour the formation of oligomeric pyrrole , while the second order of addition yields solution of colloidal polypyrro le interacting with polyelectrolytes. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry .