Synthesis and Properties of Electroactive Polyaniline-Graft Polymethyl Methacrylate Copolymer by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Abstract

In this research, N-substituted polyaniline was synthesized by chlorine-terminated chloroacetyl chloride incorporation and methylmethacrylate polymerization done onto the leucoemeraldine. The authors prepared polyaniline-graft-polymethylmethacrylate copolymer by methylmethacrylate ATRP using polyaniline macroinitiator. First, polyaniline was prepared by chemical oxidation. The macroinitiator was synthesized via reaction of leucoemeraldine's nitrogen with chloroacetyl chloride. Macroinitiator and graft copolymer were characterized by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR. SEM and AFM images showed the growing of poly methylmethacrylate chains on polyaniline backbone. Solubility test revealed that polyaniline-graft-poly(methylmethacrylate) was in some organic solvents. CV study confirmed this copolymer was electroactive. Elemental analysis determined the amount of grafting polymethylmethacrylate on leucoemeraldine.

Keywords:

• ATRP
• electoactive polymers
• graft copolymerization
• polymethylmethacrylate
• soluble polyaniline

Notes

+ + = soluble; + = partially soluble; − = insoluble.

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