Electropolymerization of Thiophene with and without Aniline in Acetonitrile

Authors: Muzaffer CAN, Kadir PEKMEZ, Nuran PEKMEZ, Attila YILDIZ

Abstract: The electrooxidation behaviors of thiophene and 3-methylthiophene on a Pt surface in acetonitrile/tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate solution were investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The electropolymerization of these monomers and electrochemical properties of polythiophene and poly(3-methylthiophene) were studied in neutral, acidic and basic media. Mechanisms related to the formation of polymers and electroactivity loss were proposed. The effect of thiophene on the electropreparation and properties of polyaniline were also investigated. The presence of thiophene in solutions of aniline in acetonitrile accelerates the formation and causes an improvement in the conductivity of polyaniline films. Thiophene, which catalyzes the polyaniline formation, enters into the structure of the polymer in solutions containing higher thiophene to aniline concentration ratios and forms a copolymer.

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