Materials Science Communication Studies on poly(diphenylamine) synthesized electrochemically in nonaqueous media

Poly(diphenylamine) has been synthesized electrochemically under galvanostatic condition in nonaqueous acetonitrile media at different monomer concentrations. The UV‐Vis spectra reveals the selective formation of conducting phase 840 nm at a low monomer concentration of 0.05 M. An increase in monomer concentration to 0.1 and 0.4 M leads to a loss in selectivity in the formation of conducting phase (especially at a higher time interval). The characteristics observed in the IR absorption spectra are in accordance with those obtained in the UV‐Vis spectra. Morphology of the films exhibit a change over from fibrillar to granular type on going from a monomer concentration of 0.05 to 0.4 M. The effect of monomer concentration on the redox properties of diphenyl amine and poly(diphenylamine) are investigated using a cyclic voltammetric technique. On comparing the two sets of cyclic voltammograms, a shift in peak potential is observed. From the thermal analysis it is found that the loss in second step is greater at lower monomer concentration due to predominant formation of conducting phase. # 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.