ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF TRIMETHYLSILYLPHENOLS TO SILYLATED POLYPHENYLENE OXIDES AND INVESTIGATION OF THEIR PROPERTIES - ENHANCED CONDUCTIVITY OF PPO BY SILYL GROUP

Polymerization of o-, m-, and p-trimethylsilylphenols (TMS-phenols) wa s achieved electrochemically. The polymers were prepared as thin films on a platinum electrode and were found to be electroinactive in nonaq ueous solutions. The polymers exhibited far higher conductivities than polyphenol or other substituted polyphenols. The conductivity of poly (p-TMS-phenol) was lower than that observed for the polymers of the o- and m-isomers. The polymers were characterized by infrared spectrosco py. The effect of monomer concentration, supporting electrolyte concen tration, current densities, and temperature on the poymerization was i nvestigated using microgravimetry. The observed empirical kinetics wer e as follows. The rates of polymerization of o-, m-, and p-TMS-phenol were found to be of 0.8, 0.8, and 0.7 order dependent on monomer conce ntation, of 0.5, 0.5 and 0.45 order dependent on electrolyte concentra tion, and of 0.9, 0.9 and 0.8 order dependent on current densities. By investigating the effect of temperature on electropolymerization, the corresponding activation energies of electropolymerization were calcu lated to be 0.9, 0.9, and 0.8 kJ/mole. The molecular weights of poly(o -TMS-phenol) and poly(m-TMS-phenol) were determined by gel permeation chromotography. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.