CHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESES, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(2,5-DIMETHOXYANILINE) (PDMA) - A NOVEL, SOLUBLE, CONDUCTING POLYMER

Poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) is obtained either from chemical oxidation with ammonium peroxydisulfate or from electro-oxidation of the corresponding monomer in aqueous hydrochloric acid. UV-Vis, H-1 NMR and FT-IR spectroscopic data, and voltammetric studies are presented to demonstrate that the chemically and electrochemically prepared PDMA samples have essentially the same properties. The voltammetry of PDMA-coated electrodes is described. It is shown that the PDMA film efficiently catalyses the proton-dependent benzoquinone-hydroquinone couple. Studies of the electropolymerization of PDMA from different aqueous acids reveal that the anion determines the surface morphology of the film deposited on the electrode. Preliminary results of the dependence of PDMA conductivity on pH are also presented.