A conductivity study of polyelectrolytes based on 4-vinyl pyridine and butylmethacrylate

In this paper, the chain flexibility of P4-VP was tried to increase by lowering its glass transition temperature (T-g) and by increasing its amorphous region by copolymerizing with butyl methacrylate. The copolymers were prepared in five different feed molar ratios to optimize the required properties such as higher room temperature conductivity and film-forming capacity. The conductivity and conduction behavior of the copolymers, as well as their hydrochloride and hydrobromide salts, have been reported. The copolymers were prepared by solution polymerization technique, using tetrahydrofuran as solvent at 60 degrees C, and the salts were prepared by simple acidification. The copolymers and their salts were characterized by scanning electron micrographs, infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric, differential scanning calorimetry and AC impedance measurements. There was about 10(3)- to 10(4)-fold increase in room temperature conductivity of these plasticized polyelectrolytes. The conduction behavior was found to be predominantly ionic. The scientific importance of this paper is that, unlike polymer electrolytes, no external salt is used; instead the virgin polymer and polyelectrolytes are used for conductivity measurements.