Oligomer-oligomer versus oligomer-monomer C2-C2′ coupling reactions in polypyrrole growth

The C-2-C-2' coupling reactions of oligopyrrole radical-cations of increasing length generated by electrochemical oxidation have been modeled by transition state calculations. The modeling approach takes into account solvent effects and (i) shows that the coupling distance in the transition state decreases with oligomer length, (ii) demonstrates that dimerization rates in the gas phase decrease with oligomer length but increase in water, (iii) suggests that in a less solvating medium the dimerization rates could be equivalent, (iv) indicates that in all solvents quaterpyrrole and sexipyrrole formation is faster through a coupling reaction between oligomer and monomer radical-cations than two oligomer radical-cations, and (v) suggests that for the formation of a long oligopyrrole from oligopyrrole-pyrrole reactions the mechanism might involve the coupling of the oligopyrrole dication with a non-oxidized pyrrole unit instead of the coupling of two radical-cations or that of the oligopyrrole dication with a pyrrole radical-cation.