Kinetics of complex formation of poly-n-vinyl carbazole and n-ethyl carbazole with electron acceptors at different molar ratios

The rates of complex formation for poly-N-vinyl carbazole and its saturated low molecular analogue, N-ethyl carbazole, with tetracyanoethylene, chloranil, trinitrobenzene and picric acid in chloroform solution have been investigated at molar ratios of donor to acceptor, D/A = 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10. The reaction rate was studied by the “stopped flow” method. At mole ratio D/A > 1 the complex forming reactions follow kinetics of first order. The apparent rate constants were calculated by the least squares method. The complex formation rate constants for the monomer analogue are higher than those for the polymer. They also depend on the electron affinity of the acceptor. The reaction rate rises with increase of the electron affinity of the acceptor.