Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of a blend pPy/poly(maleic acid-co-olefin)

A preliminary voltammetric study of the poly(maleic acid-co-olefin) (PMA-co -O) aqueous solutions, both,,without and with pyrrole (Py), showed the feas ibility of the electrochemical generation of a new polymeric (pPy/PMA-co-O) blend. Combining electrochemical and "ex situ" microgravimetric techniques the influence of the variables of synthesis: polymerisation potential, mon omeric concentration, polyelectrolyte concentration and polymerisation time were studied. Every polymerisation process was characterised by the produc tivity of the consumed charge (mg.mC(-1)). Each electrogenerated film was c hecked by voltammetry and characterised their specific capacity (A.h.Kg(-1) ). The microgravimetric empirical kinetics was: R-p alpha [Py](08.6) [PMA-c o-O](0.9). A singularity of the electrogeneration of this blend is that bot h, productivities and specific capacities keep constant as a function of th e potential until 1.6 V, in contrast with all the other blown electropolyme risation processes. The electrogeneration only is possible from solutions c ontaining high ratios between monomeric and electrolyte concentrations. The polyelectrolyte is adsorbed on either the metal electrode and on the growi ng film, changing composition and properties.