Ionic conductivity of poly[N-(3,6,9-trioxadecyl)-4-vinylpyridinium)] salts with univalent counter-ions in aqueous solutions

In order to determine the counter-anion effect on conductivity of poly[N-(3,6,9-trioxadecyl)-4-vinylpyridinium)] backbone in aqueous solutions, a set of three polyelectrolytes with three different counter-ions: poly[N-(3,6,9-trioxadecyl)-4-vinylpyridinium]bromide P4VP164Br and its chlorate and tosylate derivatives P4VP164ClO₄ and P4VP164Ts respectively, were prepared by spontaneous polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine. This method gives a grafted polyelectrolyte having a positive charge on each pyridinic moiety on the backbone. The conductivities of cationic polyelectrolyte aqueous solution were determined in the concentration range from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² M at 25 °C. The variation of the conductivity versus concentration of the investigated system exhibits a typical polyelectrolyte behavior. The polycation mobility was found to be dependent on the counter-anion nature. Thus, the polyelectrolyte conductivity increases with the ion size. This shows that big ions are weakly or not associated to the backbone.In order to confirm this steric hindrance, we have considered the conductivities of these three anions Br⁻, ClO₄⁻ and Ts⁻ in their sodium salts, both alone and in the presence of 3,6,9-trioxadecanol (PEO164) free chains. In the two cases, the conductivities decrease in the order Λ_Br>Λ_ClO4>Λ_Ts.These results suggest that counter-ion mobility is mainly influenced by steric effect PEO164 grafted chains.Values of the conductivity predicted from Manning rod-like polyelectrolyte model were compared with our experimental results.