Synthesis of phenyl-capped aniline heptamer and its UV-vis spectral study

Phenyl-capped aniline heptamer was synthesized by a simple oxidative coupling reaction. The method was accomplished by the reaction of parent aniline pentamer in the pernigraniline oxidation state with N,N′-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine in the leucoemeraldine oxidation state. The mechanism probably involves the formation of cation radicals and their coupling. The heptamer has been characterized by IR, MALDI-TOF-MS, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. Its chemical oxidation process was studied by UV-vis spectra and the electrochemical analysis was studied by CV. It was found that the phenyl-capped aniline heptamer showed three oxidative waves in the cyclic voltammetry, different from polyaniline.