Polymers have greatly enhanced the quality of life. Through them, new medical devices, protective equipment, comfort items, and safe food containers have been engineered and constructed. Yet, there are many more advances to be made with polymers. Conductive polymers are plastics (which are organic polymers) and therefore can combine the mechanical properties (processibility, flexibility, toughness, malleability, elasticity, etc.) of plastics with high electrical conductivities. Their properties can be fine-tuned using the exquisite methods of organic synthesis. Polythiophenes is one of the conductive polymers that has less conductive than many other conductive polymers such as polyaniline, but has desirable mechanical properties that make it more valuable in the production of micro robotics and sensors. Specifically, its high boiling point and insolvency make it stand out from other conductive polymers. In this research unmodified and modified polythiophenes (i.e. polythiophene and 2-benzoyl polythiophene) were synthesized by radical electropolymerization strategy. The conductivity of modified polymer was determined using an IDA electrode and compared with control unmodified polymer. In conclusion 2-benzoyl substituted polythiophene showed higher conductivity possibly due to expansion in resonance system of the polymer.

Radical electropolymerization of thiophene: Improvement of conductivity in polythiophene homopolymers

248th National Meeting (2014)

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