Effect of Synthetic Route on Structural and Morphological Properties of Poly(thiophene-co-indole)

In this study, homopolymers of polythiophene (PT), polyindole (PIN) and their composites and copolymers were synthesized by chemical polymerization and were characterized by FTIR and UV-spectroscopy, and conductivity measurements. The conductivities of polymers, composites and copolymers were measured by a conventional four probe method at room temperature and different temperatures. Among the products, PT-PIN copolymer which was synthesized at polythiophene conditions revealed the highest conductivity with a value of 0.28 S cm(-1). The thermal properties of the samples were investigated by using thermogravimetric analyses, and it was found that they have quite good thermal stability. X-ray diffraction spectra showed that the amorphous nature of the polymers. Morphological properties of the polymers, composites and copolymers have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy.