Chemical and electrochemical synthesis of homopolymer and copolymers of 3-methoxyethoxythiophene with aniline, thiophene and pyrrole for studies of their gas and vapour sensing

Herein we report chemical and electrochemical formation of poly(3-methoxyet hoxythiophene) and its copolymers with aniline, thiophene and pyrrole which give highly conducting polymeric materials. These are soluble in common or ganic solvents in the conducting state. Vie response mechanism of these com pounds, to a selection of gases and vapours, was investigated using two tec hniques: measurement of conductance and mass changes using a four probe met hod and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) device, respectively. Prepared films were exposed to hydrogen halides, hydrogen cyanide, halogens, monochloroacetic a cid (MCAA), 1-3-5 trichloromethylbenzene (TCMB), methylbenzyl bromide (MBB) , bromoacetone (BA) and cyanogen bromide (CB). These gas sensors may have a dvantages compared to other sensors in their ability to operate at room tem perature, low concentration, stability in air, sufficient diffusion and the ir selectivity. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.