Properties of poly(tetrabromo-p-phenylenediselenide) doped with IBr, H2SO3, and CH3COOH acids

Poly(tetrabromo-p-phenylenediselenide) (PBrPDSe) has been doped by IBr, H2S O3 and CH3COOH acids. The samples have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron spin resonance (ESR). Conductivity measurem ents have also been performed on pressed pellet samples. It has been shown by XPS and ESR that, after doping, positive charges are localized on Se ato ms. The conductivity of the acid-doped PBrPDSe exhibits an increase by abou t four orders of magnitude. However, the limit of 10(-7) Ohm (-1) cm(-1) ap pears difficult to overcome. This saturation effect could be attributed not only to charge localization on Se atoms but also to steric hindrance relat ed to the substituent introduced on the backbone of the polymer. (C) 2000 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.