Preparation and electroactivity of poly(methylmethacrylate-co-pyrrolylmethylstyrene)–g-polypyrrole

The conducting poly(methylmethacrylate-co-pyrrolylmethylstyrene)–g-polypyrrole (PMMAPMS–g-PPy) was synthesized by the electrochemical reaction with PMMAPMS and pyrrole in the electrolyte solution containing lithium perchlorate and a mixture solvent of acetonitrile and dichloromethane. The precursor PMMAPMS was synthesized by the reaction with poly(methyl methacrylate-co-chloromethylstyrene) (PMMACMS) and potassium pyrrole salt. The content of pyrrolymethyl groups in PMMAPMS units was identified from the 1H-NMR analysis. Chronoamperograms of pyrrole polymerization on the PMMAPMS matrix film indicated that the pyrrolymethyl groups in PMMAPMS acted as grafting centers for the growth of PPy. The SEM results and conductivity measurements supported the above graft copolymerization. The maximum conductivity of PMMAPMS–g-PPy copolymer film was around 0.1 S/cm.