Pyrolysis mass spectrometry analysis of BF4- doped polythiophene

Pyrolysis of electrochemically prepared BF4- doped polythiophene (PTh) by direct insertion probe and Currie point pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry techniques indicated that thermal decomposition of PTh occurs in two steps. In accordance with literature results, the first step is assigned to the loss of the dopant, and the second step to the degradation of the polymer backbone producing segments of various conjugation lengths. At elevated temperatures, detection of products such as H2S and C2H2 indicating cleavage of the thiophene (Th) ring was associated with a network structure. For the dedoped samples, a significant increase in the relative intensities of the peaks characteristic to the counter ion of the dopant, N(C4H9)(4)(+) pointed out the inward diffusion of (C4H9)(4)N+ during the dedoping process.