COMPLEXES IN POLYMERS .4. FTIR MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THIN ORGANIC POLYMER-FILMS CONTAINING EMBEDDED TRANSITION-METAL CARBONYL-COMPLEXES

Thin films of polystyrene (PS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene-polyacrylonitrile copolymer (PS-AN), containing various embedded transition-metal complexes, have been studied by FTIR microscopy. The spatial distributions of the transition-metal carbonyl complexes throughout the thin organic polymer films have been determined by a two-dimensional IR mapping procedure. The spectral variations observed in the distribution of the metal carbonyls throughout the different polymer films are discussed. The IR data show that the technique used to prepare the organometallic-embedded thin films (viz. freeze-drying of solutions followed by hot mechanical pressing or the residues) does in general lead to homogeneous films which may eventually find industrial application, e.g. as membrane sensors for small molecules.