Pyrrole/styrene graft copolymers

A. I. Nazzal, G. B. Street, Pyrrole styrene graft-copolymers, Chemical Communications 1985, 375. 

The synthesis of pyrrole-styrene graft copolymers has been demonstrated by several groups [138]. Pyrrole monomer is chemically grafted onto a template of styrene/Cl-Me-styrene copolymer (Fig. 5-221. The pendant pyrrole groups are then polymerized electrochemically in a solution containing additional pyrrole monomer. Conductivities of 0.4 S/cm are reported for the insoluble final product. However, the utility of this unique template polymer is again not indicated by the authors except for possibly providing "versatility for systematic modification of physical properties" [138]. 

Fig. 5-22 Template/graft synthesis of pyrrole/styrene graft copolymers. After Reference [138], reproduced with permission.

Pyrrole is a very reactive monomer and the evidence suggests that its homopolymers and copolymers are crosslinked materials the random copolymer with 95 mole% styrene units is insoluble and the PMMA graft copolymer with 1.4% pyrrole is soluble through a 0.02 pm filter. There is no confirmation in the literature of the report that doped or neutral poly(3-alkylpyrroles) are soluble. 

An approach used to improve the mechanical properties of polypyrrole was the graft copolymerization of pyrrole with pyrrole-derivatized polystyrene [152]. The base polymer was obtained by the copolymerization of styrene and 4-chloromethylstyr-ene, followed by reaction with potassium pyrrole. The copolymer was dissolved in acetonitrile together with a... 

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