AOT reverse micelle, a new organized medium for the electrosynthesis of polyaromatic hydrocarbons; application to the electropolymerization of biphenyl

Electrosynthesis of poly(biphenyl) (PBP) films was performed in an AOT [sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate] reverse micelle by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry on a platinum electrode. An electroactive PBP film was formed either by cyclic voltammetry between −0.6 and 1.65 V/Ag/AgCl or under current control (j = 0.2 mA/cm2). PBP films were characterized electrochemically and spectroscopically (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry), NMR, Raman, FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron and UV-vis spectroscopy). The structure of the PBP films involved sequences of ramified trimer possessing quinoid forms. This type of sequences can give strongly condensed oligomers with PBP molar mass up to 2669.6 g/mol according to the electrosynthesis charge.