Influence of electrochemical copolymerization conditions of 3‐methylthiophene and biphenyl on the morphology and nanomechanical properties of the films

The aim of this work is to synthesize novel 3‐methylthiophene (3MTh)/biphenyl (Biph) copolymer films by electropolymerization and study their mechanical properties through nanoindentation. The morphology, the chemical structure as well as the electrical conductivity of the copolymer films depended strongly on the electropolymerization conditions. It was found that the polymer deposition follow an instantaneous, two‐dimensional nucleation and growth mechanism leading to homogenous films. The copolymer films had higher Young modulus and nanohardness than poly(3‐methylthiophene) (3PMTh), indicating that the incorporation of Biph units within the P3MTh chain leads to a more densely packed structure and a more brittle polymer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42575.