Self-assembled networks of conducting polyaniline in bulk polymers: A new class of conducting polymer blends

This review of the current status of conducting polymers will focus on recent progress which demonstrates that the initial promise of the late 1970's has become reality. Conducting polymers are now available as materials with truly unique properties: They combine the important electronic and optical properties of semiconductors and metals with the attractive mechanical properties and processing advantages of polymers. Conducting polymer blends based upon polyaniline (PANI) are a new class of materials in which the threshold for the onset of electrical conductivity (σ) can be reduced to volume fractions below 1%, well below that required for classical percolation (16% by volume for globular conducting objects dispersed in an insulating matrix in three dimensions). The origin of this remarkably low threshold for the onset of electrical conductivity is the self-assembled network morphology of the PANI polyblends which forms during the course of liquid-liquid separation. Since the average density of the conducting network near threshold is small, the conductivity increases smoothly and continuously over many orders of magnitude as the concentration of conducting polymer increases above threshold. The low percolation threshold and the continuous increase of σ(f) above threshold are particularly important; as a result of this combination, conducting polyblends can be reproducibly fabricated with controlled levels of electrical conductivity while retaining the desired mechanical properties of the matrix polymer.^1-3)     

Structure and properties of new olefin polymers

The relationship between molecular structures and physical properties of linear low density polyethylenes (LLDPEs) produced with single-site catalyst (SSC) was investigated. SSC polymerized LLDPE have excellent physical properties corresponding to its homogeneous molecular structure that had never been achieved by conventional Ziegler-Natta catalysts. It was found that some SSCs have the capability to produce LLDPEs with narrow molecular weight distribution but excellent melt properties. This result suggests that there exist long chain branches in these LLDPEs.     

Ozonization of electronic conducting polymers: II. Degradation or doping

The ozonization of poly[3-pentylthiophene], poly[3-heptylthiophene] and poly[3-nonylthiophene] was carried out in room temperature. The DC conductivity changes during the ozonization have been recorded, revealing significant conductivity increase (up to two orders of magnitude). Moreover, an analysis of electron microscopy images has shown that ozone related swelling of polymer bundles caused the granular structure of the samples to fade away. The analysis of FTIR spectra indicated the presence of physisorbed ozone as well as oxidative degradation products in the ozonized polymer samples.     

Structure and electrical conductivity of ion-implanted rigid-rod and ladder polymers

Isotropic and oriented thin films of rigid-rod, rigid-rod pseudo-ladder, and ladder polymers were ion-bombarded with ⁸⁴Kr⁺ to a dose of 4 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm². The bombardment was conducted at two conditions: one at 190 keV energy with 0.12 μA/cm² current density and the other at 200 keV energy with 2.0 μA/cm² current density. With the low current density, the polymers developed a uniform ion-bombarded layer of about 0.35 μm at the surface. This layer showed an electrical conductivity on the order of 10^?3s/cm at ambient conditions, an enhancement of 6 to 9 orders of magnitude from the pristine polymers. The enhanced conductivity was found to decrease to 10^?6s/cm after the implanted krypton was removed by heating under reduced pressure. It suggests that the enhanced conductivity was due to a synergistic effect of structural change of the polymers and chemical doping by the im-planted ions. With the high current density, most polymer films, except that of rigid-rod pseudo-ladder poly(p-(2,5-dihydroxy) phenylene benzobisthiazole) (DPBT), developed an additional fibrous network structure over the uniform ion-bombarded layer. The comparable conductivity, 53 to 157 s/cm, measured for the various ion-bombarded films in-dicated that neither the molecular structure, rigid-rod or ladder, nor the molecular packing order, isotropic or oriented, constituted significant effect on the conductivity of ion-bombarded polymers. Since krypton could not be detected in the polymers ion-bombarded with high current density, the enhanced conductivity was attributed to the structural change of the polymers. The DPBT films ion-bombarded with high current density showed holes of micron size, probably due to the decomposition of hydroxy pendents from the rigid-rod backbone. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure and properties of nonclassical polymers. V. On a class of nonalternant polymers with localized nonbonding bands

The investigations on nonclassical polymers [4, 6, 12] have been extended to a new class of quasi-one-dimensional hydrocarbons. The latter are characterized by the occurrence of an infinitely narrow nonbonding band, originating from a new type of structural peculiarity. In contrast to the systems considered so far, the new polymers exhibit a strictly localized nonbonding band.     

Secondary doping: A new concept in conducting polymers

Phenomenologically, a primary dopant for a conducting polymer is a substance which drastically changes the electronic, optical, magnetic, and/or structural properties of the polymer and is accompanied by a large increase in conductivity. Phenomenologically, a secondary dopant is an apparently “inert” substance which, when applied to a primary-doped polymer, induces still further changes in the above properties including a further increase in conductivity. The concept of secondary doping will be illustrated using polyaniline and its derivatives.     

Ion implantation doping and electrical properties of high-temperature ladder polymers

We report the first ion implantation doping studies on high-temperature ladder polymers and show that insulting films of the benzimidazobenzophenanthroline-type ladder polymer (BBL) can be doped by boron, argon, and krypton implantation to conductivities as high as 224 S/cm at a dose of 4.0 × 10¹⁶/cm² while retaining the excellent mechanical properties of the pristine films. Effects of dose (ions/cm²) and beam current density (microamps/cm²) on electrical conductivity at fixed ion energies are reported. The temperature dependence of the conductivity indicates that the implanted ladder polymer films are semiconductors. Spatially selective implantation, creating regions of conducting lines in an insulating matrix, which suggests microelectronic device applications of the ladder polymers, is demonstrated.     

ESR and magnetic properties of electrically conducting metallophthalocyanine polymers

Polymeric metallophthalocyanines of Cu, Ni, Co in which benzene rings are shared in common with the macrocyclic phthalocyanine rings containing peripheral carboxylic groups have been synthesized and their electrical conductivities are shown to increase from 5 to 8 orders of magnitude by thermal treatment. The cobalt polymer exhibits greater conductivity than its nickel or copper analogs. The heated polymers show very broad electron spin resonance (ESR) signals and large paramagnetic susceptibilities. The bulk magnetic susceptibility of these polymers shows Curie-like behavior when the samples are heated from room temperature to 473 K. This is explained on the basis of coexistence of fixed mobile and conduction electron spins in the system and the interaction of the soliton type defects present in these polymers with the polymeric network to give dipolar charge carriers. This is also supported by the decrease in ESR intensity with increasing temperature when the samples are heated in the ESR cavity. The effect of the presence of unpaired electrons on the d shell of the central metal atoms on the line width and the line shape of the ESR spectra is also explained. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure and properties of non-classical polymers. IV. Magnetic properties of polymers with superexchange interaction

It is shown that, for a new class of polymers, ferromagnetic superexchange may arise. The model polymers of the new class have specific electronic structure. In addition to the delocalized system of coupled π electrons, these polymers have singly occupied molecular orbitals localized within each monomer unit. The localized electrons are indirectly exchange coupled, mediated via delocalized orbitals. The resultant exchange interaction is ferromagnetically signed. It depends strongly on the energy gap of the delocalized π-electron system. The suggested model is close to the superexchange of some rare earth magnetics where magnetic f electrons interact indirectly due to delocalized s electron system. The theory of Ruderman, Kittel, Kasuya and Yosida is used in the quantitative treatment of the exchange interaction.     

Combined main chain/side chain polymers. A new class of liquid crystalline polymers with unusual structural, thermodynamic and dynamic properties

Combined main chain/side chain polymers carry rigid rod-like mesogenic units both in the side chain and along the chain backbone. The properties of such combined systems are expected to be controlled by the competition of the interactions between the mesogenic units in the side and main chains as well as the tendency of the chain backbones to maximize their entropy. The thermodynamic, structural and dynamic properties of such combined main chain/side chain liquid-crystalline polymers were investigated for various chain architectures. The combined systems were found to display properties corresponding in many cases to a favourable superposition of properties characteristic of both main and side chain systems. These include high transition temperatures (up to 530 K) and broad ranges of stability of liquid-crystalline phases (up to about ΔT = 170 K). The orientational order parameter was found to approach values of 0.9 and it was possible to orient some of the polymers in weak external fields such as 1 T for instance, for magnetic fields. Smectic antiphase formation corresponding to that observed in low molar mass systems carrying strong longitudinal dipoles and resulting from the presence of incommensurable lengths were observed in those cases in which the side groups were attached directly to the rigid part of the chain backbone whereas no such effects occurred if the side groups were fixed to the flexible part of the main chain. The reorientational motion of the mesogens about their short axis, which couples to dielectric and electro-optical properties was found to have a surprisingly low activation energy (as low as 115 kJ/mol) and a strong anisotropy of the dielectric constant (Δε = 7) despite a relatively small concentration of dipoles. It thus seems that the combined systems may be the material of choice for many future applications.     

Morphology of organosilicon ladder polymers

The morphology of organosilicon ladder polymers was studied by various methods, including x-ray techniques, diffraction of monochromatic polarized light, and electron microscopy. The morphology is discussed as a function of the chemical composition, the molecular weight, and the method of preparation.     

Structure and properties of nonclassical polymers

Utilizing an extended Hubbard-type Hamiltonian which incorporates both nearest-neighbour Coulomb repulsion and exchange interactions, we have studied the energy dispersion of the lowest elementary excitation from the ferromagnetically aligned state of quasi one-dimensional alternant hydrocarbon networks. It was found that the main effect of the long range Coulomb interaction may be thought of as a renormalization (screening) of the on-site Hubbard integral. This implies an enhancement of the kinetic exchange term and impairs the stability of the ferromagnetic state towards single spin inversions. However, for physically relevant values of the parameters entering the model Hamiltonian, the collective spin excitation represents a magnon, whose energy band lies above the reference value pertaining to the magnetically saturated configuration.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Adolf Neckel on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Polyimidines: A new class of polymers. III. A comparison of isomers of polypyromellitimidines

The cis (3,3,5,5-), trans (3,3,7,7-), oxo, and thio analogs of tetraphenylpyromellitide were polymerized with 1, 6-hexane diamine, p-phenylene diamine, and p,p'-diaminodiphenyl ether under various conditions. A comparison was then made of reactivity of the isomers and of the properties of the polymers. In general the thio monomers were more soluble and reactive than the oxo. They also gave more thermally stable polymers. The cis isomers of the monomers were more soluble than the trans, but the trans were more reactive. The least stable of the 12 polymers prepared was that from the cis–oxo monomer and 1,6-hexane diamine. It gave a 10% weight loss at 300°C in air and 340°C in nitrogen by TGA. The most stable polymer was from the reaction of the cis–thio pyromellitide with p,p'-diaminodiphenyl ether, which showed 10% weight losses by TGA at 560 and 650°C in air and nitrogen, respectively. The polymers were stable in hot dilute hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. They were all soluble in chloroform, dimethylformamide, and sulfuric acid. Polymers that contained sulfur were also soluble in carbon tetrachloride, benzene, xylene, and toluene. Brittle films could be cast from solution or melt-pressed.     

Structure and properties of conducting bacterial cellulose-polyaniline nanocomposites

Conducting composite membranes of bacterial cellulose (BC) and polyaniline doped with dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (PAni.DBSA) were successfully prepared by the in situ chemical polymerization of aniline in the presence of hydrated BC sheets. The polymerization was performed with ammonium peroxydisulfate as the oxidant agent and different amounts of DBSA. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, attenuation reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), impedance spectroscopy and small angle X ray scattering (SAXS). The highest electrical conductivity value was achieved by using a DBSA/aniline molar ratio of 1.5 because this condition provided a better penetration of PAni.DBSA chains inside the hydrated BC sheet, as observed by SEM. The in situ polymerization gives rise to conducting membranes with the surface constituted by different degree roughness as indicated by Nyquist plots obtained from impedance spectroscopy and confirmed by SAXS measurements. This preliminary work provides a new way to prepare cellulose-polyaniline conducting membranes which find potential applications as electronic devices, sensors, intelligent clothes, etc.     

Polyimidines,a new class of polymers. II. Polyhexamethylenetetraphenyldithiopyromellitimidine

Polyimidines have been shown to be soluble, thermally stable polymers. In searching for an alternate synthetic method the thio analog of this system has been discovered. The brightly colored (red-orange) perthio derivatives of 3,3-diphenylphthalide and 3,3,5,5-tetraphenyipyromellitide were synthesized from their oxo analogs with P₂S₅. The model compound thioimidines were synthesized by reacting 3,3-diphenyldithiophthalide with aniline and with 1,6-hexane diamine and by reacting 3,3,5,5-tetraphenyltetrathiopyromellitide with aniline and n-hexylamine. The polymerization of tetraphenyltetrathiopyromellitide occurred readily with 1,6-hexanediamine in boiling carbon tetrachloride with complete cyclization. This reaction gave an 80% yield with inherent viscosities up to 0.89 and molecular weights up to approximately 11,000. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a 2% weight loss at 200°C and 10% weight loss at 300°C with rapid decomposition above 300°C. Although the polythioimidine was less thermally stable than its oxo analog, it was much more soluble in common solvents (aromatic and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons) and more readily synthesized in higher yield.