SOME NEW MODEL STRUCTURES DESIGNED SO AS TO UNDERSTAND THE ORIGIN OF CONDUCTIVITY IN POLYMERIC ORGANIC METALS

Pyrrole and thiophene monomers with cycloalkyl groups fused at the 3,4-positions were prepared and could be polymerized electrochemically or by oxidation in bulk solution to form conducting polymer salts. The conductivity of the two series of polymers can be analysed in terms of the hopping equation. The macroscopic conductivity is controlled by the size of the substituent which separates adjacent chains. The localization length of the charge carriers can be estimated to be in the order of magnitude of one pyrrole or thiophene ring. The data indicate that the conductivity behaviour of these conducting polymers is dominated by interchain charge-transport processes. © 1990.