Comparative study on poly(3-alkylpyrroles)

Polypyrrole(PPY), poly(3-methylpyrrole)(PMPY) and poly(3-octylpyrrole) (POCPY) were prepared under the same electrochemical polymerization conditions and their properties were comparatively studied. Electrical conductivity increased in the order POCPY < PMPY < PPY. Absorption spectra measuredin situ showed that while peak energy of the interband transition increased in the order PPY < PMPY < POCPY, the absorption edge of PPY was located at almost equal energy as that of PMPY and POCPY. Stability, indicated by decrease in the ratio of conductivities after storage to the initial conductivity, was primarily dependent on the length of alkyl chains, secondly on dopants and associated with spectral deterioration. While the initial conductivity was strongly dependent on temperature and current density during electrochemical polymerization, the stability was virtually independent of these conditions. The stability increased in the order: POCPY < PMPY < PPY. Spectral change during storage in air was dependent on the chemical structure of polymers but almost independent of dopants. The spectral change indicated PPY to be in nearly initial states after 10 days and POCPY to be in almost completely undoped states after 200 days. In cyclic voltammograms, PPY and POCPY showed one anodic peak and PMPY two anodic peaks. Their peak potentials were associated with conjugation length.