CHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF HOMOPOLYMER AND COPOLYMERS OF 3-METHOXYETHOXYTHIOPHENE WITH ANILINE, THIOPHENE AND PYRROLE FOR STUDIES OF THEIR GAS AND VAPOUR SENSING

Herein we report chemical and electrochemical formation of poly(3-methoxyethoxythiophene) and its copolymers with aniline, thiophene and pyrrole which give highly conducting polymeric materials. These are soluble in common organic solvents in the conducting state. The response mechanism of these compounds, to a selection of gases and vapours, was investigated using two techniques: measurement of conductance and mass changes using a four probe method and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) device, respectively. Prepared films were exposed to hydrogen halides, hydrogen cyanide, halogens, monochloroacetic acid (MCAA), 1-3-5 trichloromethylbenzene (TCMB), methylbenzyl bromide (MBB), bromoacetone (BA) and cyanogen bromide (CB). These gas sensors may have advantages compared to other sensors in their ability to operate at room temperature, low concentration, stability in air, sufficient diffusion and their selectivity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[1]  K. Yoshino,et al.  Fusibility of Polythiophene Derivatives with Substituted Long Alkyl Chain and Their Properties , 1987 .

[2]  Susumu Tanaka,et al.  Soluble conducting polypyrrole: poly(3-octylpyrrole) , 1989 .

[3]  J. Grimshaw,et al.  Poly(pyrrole) as a support for electrocatalytic materials , 1991 .

[4]  A. Patil.  Polyalkylsulfonatethiophene: Electrically conducting soluble polythiophene , 1989 .

[5]  G. Kämpf,et al.  Polyalxykothiophenes soluble electrically conducting polymers , 1989 .

[6]  D. Parker,et al.  Synthesis and cyclic voltammetric behaviour of some 3-substituted thiophenes and pyrroles: Precursors for the preparation of conducting polymers , 1988 .

[7]  Alan J. Heeger,et al.  Self-doped conducting polymers , 1987 .

[8]  L. Miller,et al.  Polymerized 3-methoxythiophen. A processable material for the controlled release of anions , 1985 .

[9]  R. Cattrall.  Chemical Sensors , 1997 .

[10]  A. Ricard,et al.  Electrochemical formation of a copolymer of 3-methoxyethoxythiophene and thiophene , 1993 .

[11]  K. Geckeler,et al.  Conducting Isopolymers: Preparation, properties, and applications , 1995 .

[12]  H. B. Mark,et al.  Electrochemistry and electrode applications of electroactive/conductive polymers , 1988 .

[13]  Jonathan M. Slater,et al.  Gas and vapour detection with poly(pyrrole) gas sensors , 1992 .

[14]  Takakazu Yamamoto,et al.  Polymers and oligomers with substituted 2,5-thienylene units. Preparation and electrical conductivity properties , 1989 .

[15]  D. Parker,et al.  Soluble, conducting polymers from 3-substituted thiophenes and pyrroles , 1987 .

[16]  M. Leclerc,et al.  Design of new conducting 3,4-disubstituted polythiophenes , 1990 .

[17]  S. Hosseini,et al.  Preparation and characterization of polyaniline blends with polyvinyl acetate, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride for toxic gas sensors , 2001 .

[18]  G. Gustafsson,et al.  Thermal instability of doped poly(3-alkylthiophenes) , 1989 .

[19]  P. Bartlett,et al.  Conducting polymer gas sensors part I: fabrication and characterization , 1989 .