POLYMERIZATION OF PYRROLE ON POLYETHER, POLYESTER AND POLYETHERESTER IRON(III) CHLORIDE COORDINATION-COMPLEXES

Poly(ethylene oxide) (poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl)), polyester (poly(beta-propiolactone) or poly(2-oxetanone)) and polyetherester (poly(1,5-di-oxepan-2-one)) form highly viscous liquid complexes with iron(III) chloride at a weight ratio of polymer/FeCl3 equal to 7:3. These complexes placed in the vapour of pyrrole initiate its polymerization. Polypyrrole composites obtained in this way have conducting properties of 2-3 x 10(-3) S cm-1. However, their electroactivity differs very much depending on the polymer-FeCl3 complex used for polymerization. These polypyrrole composites exhibit increased conductivity under UV (254 nm) irradiation. Polypyrrole polymerized on poly(ethylene oxide)-FeCl3 complex has very good electrochemical properties and shows very promising features such as high activity and high reversibility of the active material. Polymerization of pyrrole on polymer-FeCl3 complexes is a very useful method, because it is achieved without electrodes and supporting electrolytes. The morphological structures of polypyrrole composites differ very much depending on the polymer-FeCl3 complex used for pyrrole polymerization. UV-Vis, FT-IR, ESCA, Mossbauer and ESR spectroscopies and SEM microscopy have been employed to study the structure of polypyrrole composites.