Electronic conduction in polymers. VI. The chemical consequences of space charge effects in conducting polymers

Abstract

Electronically conducting polymers have been prepared by the pyrolysis of tetraiodophthalic anhydride and tetraiodo-o-sulphobenzoic anhydride. The polymers contain anhydride groups whose reaction with alkali shows that the anhydride groups are difficult to hydrolyse and that the carboxyl groups thus produced are probably extremely weak acids. The products obtained by treating basic carbons with phosgene behave as if they contain acid chloride groups which hydrolyse with difficulty to produce very weakly acidic carboxyl groups. The effects are attributed to a space charge arising from charge delocalization from the functional groups.