Poly(aniline-co-m-methylaniline) were copolymerized by chemical peroxidation of aniline and m-methylaniline in aqueous acidic medium under nitrogen atmosphere at O-4oC. The molar feed ratio of the monomers were varied to prepare copolymers of different composition.
The copolymers product were characterized by solubility, spectroscopic methods, elemental analysis and electrical conductivity measurements. The solubility and spectroscopic analysis suggested that the product is a copolymer of aniline and m-methylaniline.
The optical spectra of the copolymer shows hypsochromic shift with the increase in dielectric constant of the solvent and with increasing the content of m-methylaniline in the copolymer chain. The electrical conductivity of copolymer salts were measured as a function of temperature. The conductivity of copolymer decreases with increasing the content of m-methylaniline in the copolymer chain, due to change in coplanarity of polymer and reduction of mobility of charge carrier along the main chain. The conduction mechanism of copolymer is polaron hopping conduction as similar to the case of polyaniline. The coherence, most probable hopping distance, hopping energy and localization length of copolymers have been compared to those of homopolymers.