Highly conductive meta derivatives of poly(phenylene sulfide)

Changes in the backbone structure of several meta derivatives of polyphenylene sulfide upon doping with AsF5 have been investigated by IR spectroscopy. Poly(m‐phenylene sulfide) does not form a conducting complex with AsF5 unless reacted under conditions where carbon‐carbon bonds form intramolecularly between phenyl rings. This assertion has been verified by comparison of the IR spectra of poly(m‐phenylene sulfide) and a newly synthesized derivative, poly(thio‐3,7‐dibenzothiophendiyl), after doping with AsF5. This new derivative forms a complex with AsF5 which exhibits a conductivity of 18.5 S/cm. A sulfone‐containing derivative has also been synthesized, poly[thio‐3,7‐(dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide)‐diyl]. With this polymer, a much lower conductivity, 10−3 S/cm, was obtained after exposure to AsF5.