Electrocopolymerization of meta-phenylenediamine and ortho-phenetidine

Copolymerization of meta-phenylenediamine (mPD) and ortho-phenetidine (PHT) was performed by three facile electropolymerization techniques including cyclic voltammetry, constant potential and constant current on platinum electrodes in H2SO4. The electrochemically functional characteristics, including electroactivity and electrochromism, of the polymers formed are significantly dependent on mPD/PHT ratios and the electropolymerization technique. It is interesting that the black mPD/PHT copolymers obtained by the three electropolymerizations were all soluble in DMSO, i.e., electropolymerized mPD/PHT copolymers exhibit higher solubility than corresponding copolymers produced by chemical oxidation. During the cyclic voltammetry electropolymerization, a significant inhibition effect of mPD monomer on the PHT electropolymerization was observed.