A pyrolysis mass spectrometry study of polythiophene-natural rubber and polythiophene-synthetic rubber conducting polymer composites

The thermal behaviors and degradation products of conducting polymer composites prepared by electrooxidation of thiophene using natural rubber or synthetic rubber as the insulating matrix were studied by direct and indirect mass spectrometry techniques. The pyrolysis mass data revealed that a chemical interaction formed between the components of the composites during polymerization. Thermal characteristics of rubbers totally disappeared in the composites indicating presence of some chain scissions leading to degradation of rubbers during electrooxidative polymerization. The multiscan cyclic voltammetry runs showed that polythiophene is also electroactive on the rubber coated metal electrodes, with a small shift in the redox peaks compared to the one on the bare electrode.