Ronald Michaël Alexander Maria Schellekens

New synthetic routes to poly (isothianaphthene) I. Reaction of phthalic anhydride and phthalide with phosphorus pentasulfide

Abstract A new route for the formation of the low bandgap polymer poly(isothianaphthene) is presented. The route comprises the reaction of phthalic anhydride or phthalide with phosphorus pentasulfide at elevated temperatures ( T ⩾ 120 °C), and leads to the formation of poly(isothianaphthene) in one single step. The product obtained was analysed by elemental analysis, IR, Raman and solid state NMR spectroscopy. Chemical doping and dedoping of the material were investigated, and the maximum conductivity obtained was 10 S cm −1 by doping with NOSbF 6 . Both doped and undoped samples of poly(isothianaphthene) prepared by this new route were thermally very stable in air or in an inert helium atmosphere as shown by thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, the conductivity of a doped sample remained unchanged up to 250 °C in air. Preliminary results showed that the reaction with phosphorus pentasulfide can also be used to obtain nitrogen analogues of poly(isothianaphthene).

Precursor monomer route: A novel concept for producing highly conductive polypyrrole films

Abstract Heating of micro porous UHMW-PE films, impregnated with a solution of pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and FeCl 3 , results in tough and flexible films with conductivities up to 10 S/cm. Within the films a continuous network of polypyrrole is present as a coating layer on the micro fibrils of polyethylene. By triggering of the reaction via thermochemical, oxidative decarboxylation of the pyrrole-2-carboxylic precursors, a controlled and efficient polymerisation is provided, resulting in a fast and continuous production process.