Oxygen-Substituted Polythiophenes

Several years later the Mario Leclerc group in Canada also investigated alkoxythiophenes and could elaborate some more structure-property relationships. The relatively low conductivity of poly-3-alkoxythiophenes was confirmed. Chemically, with iron-in chloride as the oxidant, polymerized 3-n-butoxythiophene exhibited 8 x 10 S/cm. Although the level of all Leclerc data was lower than that of comparable compounds in Table 3.1, the relatively 

Source Adapted from M. Feldhues, G. Kampf, H. Litterer, T. Mecklenburg, and P. Wegener, 1989, Synth Met 28 C487-C493. 

To summarize, the data for 3,4-dimethoxythiophene and 3-alkoxy-4-meth-ylthiophenes were especially very promising with respect to technical usage in high conductivity applications, and the structural prerequisites necessary for the development of such materials seemed to be understood. But this knowledge, which describes the research state of around 1990, did not result in a single technical product on the basis of any 3-alkoxythiophene derivative, whether substituted by a further alkoxy residue or methyl group or not. In particular, intrinsically conductive polymers (ICP) based on the Hoechst AG patents could not be commercialized at all, and Hoechst finished this development. 

Source Adapted from G. Daoust and M. Lederc, 1991, Macromolecules 24(2) 455-459. 

Sources Adapted from T. Hagiwara, M. Yamaura, K. Sato, M. Hirasaka, and K. Iwata, 1989, Synth Met 32(3) 367-379 T. Yamamoto, A. Kashiwazaki, and K. Kato, 1989, Makromol Chem 190(7) 1649-1654. 

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