Model filled polymers

Summary

Polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) coated polystyrene (PS) beads which have moderate conductivity when doped were prepared by mixing monodisperse crosslinked PS beads, the surfaces of which had been sulfonated to render them anionic, with cationic PPV precursor polymers. Two different PPV precursor polymers, poly (p-xylylidene tetrathiophenium chloride) and poly (p-xylylene-α-dimethylsulphonium chloride), were employed. Monodisperse crosslinked PS beads were sulfonated in the gas phase using fuming sulfuric acid to yield the surface activated monodisperse polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) beads. Chemical doping with AsF₅, of pellets prepared by pressing the coated beads resulted in conductivities as high as 10^-1S/cm. The integrity of the polymer beads was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and arsenic was found throughout the samples by examing fracture surfaces of the pressed coated pellets using EDXS.