Synthesis and properties of poly(aniline-co-azidoaniline)

Copolymers of polyaniline and o-azidoaniline were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization. The copolymers were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV/Vis and FT-IR spectroscopy. Thermal activation of the azido chromophore in the copolymer caused it to react and cross-link into adjacent polymer chains. The cross-linking of the copolymers was indicated by the depletion of the azido band in the FT-IR spectrum. The effects of the cross-linking were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and four-probe conductivity. The TGA showed that the thermal stability of the copolymers is improved due to cross-linking. However, the increased thermal stability is accompanied by a decrease in electrical conductivity due to the loss of conjugation detected by UV/Vis spectroscopy and a loss of crystallinity due to the azido substituents, which was demonstrated by XRD.