Properties of polyphenylene films deposited electrochemically in an HF‐benzene system

Free‐standing polyphenylene films, prepared by the electrochemical oxidation of benzene in an HF‐benzene, two‐phase system, were investigated. From electron microscope pictures, x‐ray diffraction patterns, and infrared (IR) spectra of polyphenylene films and commercial polyphenylene powder it is concluded that the films, which are largely para linked, contain in addition a substantial amount of meta and possibly ortho linkages and are amorphous in nature. Doping with AsF 5 increases the electrical conductivity of the otherwise insulating films to 10 −4 −10 −2 ohm −1 cm −1 ; doped films are relatively stable in air. The lower conductivity of doped films with respect to reported values for chemically synthesized poly‐ p ‐phenylene appears to be the result of the amorphous nature of the films.