Oxidative Copolymerization of Aniline with O- and P-Toluidine by Ammonium Per Sulfate: Kinetic and Pathway

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The kinetic study on the oxidation of aniline with o- and p-methylaniline by ammonium persulfate (APS) has been carried out. The course of copolymerization was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopic method. Structural characterization was studied by FT-IR spectral analysis. The electronic spectra of the copolymers poly(aniline-co-p-toluidine) and poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) show hypsochromic shift. The shift has been observed in the bands corresponding to p®p* transition as well as in the exciton transition. The increase in absorbance recorded during the reaction for different concentration of aniline, o- and p- toluidine at various times of intervals of polymerization reaction indicates a growth in the polymer formation. The degradation curve can be fitted reasonably well by an exponential decay of APS, suggesting first order kinetics. The resulting first-order rate constant was used to calculate the rate of copolymer formation using the rate equation –d[A]/dt =kcn.

Copolymerization; degradation curve; electronic and vibrational spectra