Lockheed Corporation

Sandra K Clement

Randy E Cameron

Deanne P Yamato

Preparation of conductive polymers, particularly polyanilines having good solubility in organic solvents and high electrical conductivity, by providing a mixture of aniline, dianiline and a flexible diamine such as 1,3-bis (3-aminophenoxy)benzene or triethylene tetramine. The mixture is reacted in the presence of an oxidant such as ammonium persulfate and a protonic (Bronsted) acid, e.g. tosic acid, to polymerize the mixture and form a conductive polyaniline in which the conjugation is interrupted by an intermediate diamine group, and which renders the resulting polymer more flexible than polyaniline per se. The conductive polymer so produced also has terminal primary amino groups which aid solubility and which are further reactive. The conductive polyaniline product of the invention can be blended with non-conductive resins such as polyimides to provide cured conductive resin blends having good mechanical properties.

Preparation of highly soluble conductive polymer materials

Process for producing conductive polyaniline of controlled molecular weight by providing a mixture of aniline and dianiline in predetermined proportions dependent on the desired molecular weight of polyaniline to be formed. The mixture is reacted in the presence of an oxidant such as ammonium persulfate and a protonic (Bronsted) acid such as tosylic acid, to polymerize the mixture of aniline and dianiline, and forming conductive polyaniline of the desired molecular weight. Soluble conductive polyanilines having an average molecular weight not higher than about 600,000 (by gel permeation chromatography versus polystyrene in N-methyl pyrrolidone) can be obtained. Using about 6 to about 18 mols of aniline per mol of dianiline, according to one mode of procedure, conductive polyaniline having an average molecular weight ranging from about 150,000 to about 600,000 can be obtained. According to another feature of the invention, mild or weak oxidants such as o-chloranil and cupric chloride, as well as strong oxidants such as ammonium persulfate, can be used in the reaction.

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Canyon Country, CA, United States of America

Sandra K Clement