Electroactive polymers

Claim 2

A tractable electroactive polymer which comprises a charged polymer backbone of recurring units of a fused 6,6-membered nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic ring system and charge compensating ionic dopant associated therewith, wherein the polymer backbone is capable of undergoing a reversible oxidation or a reversible reduction or both to form said charged polymer backbone.

Claim 3

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein the diradicals have from one to six nitrogen atoms distributed within and among the fused six-member rings wherein each ring contains three or less nitrogens bonded sequentially.

Claim 4

The electroactive polymer according to claim 2 wherein the fused rings contain one nitrogen and are positional diradicals of quinoline and isoquinoline.

Claim 5

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein the recurring units are positional diradicals of quinoline, isoquinoline, substituted derivatives thereof, or mixtures thereof, wherein said substituted derivatives contain one or two substituents on the nitrogen-containing portion of the ring and one substituent on the carbocyclic portion of the ring for quinoline and one substituent on the nitrogen-containing portion of the ring and one or two substituents on the carbocyclic portion of the ring for isoquinoline, said substituents independently selected from H; amino; alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; an alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; a cycloaliphatic group of 5 or 6 carbon atoms; an alkenyl group of 2 to 4 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkenyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkynyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 1 to 3 cyano groups, 1 to 3 halogen atoms, dialkyl amino groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and a 5- or 6-membered nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group.

Claim 6

The electroactive polymer according to claim 4 wherein said quinoline and substituted quinoline recurring units are diradicals connected through the positions selected from the group consisting of the 2,6 or 3,6 positions; and mixtures of said diradicals.

Claim 7

The electroactive polymer according to claim 4 wherein said isoquinoline and substituted isoquinoline recurring units are diradicals connected through the positions selected from the group consisting of the 2,6 or 3,6 positions and mixtures of said diradicals.

Claim 8

The electroactive polymer according to claim 4 wherein the recurring units are selected from the group consisting of quinoline diradicals or quinoline diradicals having a substituent in the 4-position.

Claim 9

The electroactive polymer according to claim 7 wherein the quinoline and substituted quinoline recurring units are diradicals connected through the positions selected from the group consisting of the 2,6 or 3,6 positions and mixtures of said diradicals.

Claim 10

The electroactive polymer according to claim 4 wherein the recurring units are selected from the group consisting of isoquinoline diradicals or isoquinoline diradicals having a substituent in the 4-position.

Claim 11

The electroactive polymer according to claim 9 wherein the diradical units are connected at the 2,6 and 3,6 positions and mixtures thereof.

Claim 12

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein the recurring units are quinoline diradicals and substituted quinoline diradicals and wherein the diradicals are interspersed by a connecting unit and the diradicals are connected through the positions selected from the group consisting of the 2,6 or 3,6 positions and mixtures thereof, wherein the connecting unit is selected from the group consisting of ##STR37## wherein R v , R vi and R vii are H or methyl, and mixtures of said connecting units.

Claim 13

The electroactive polymer according to claim 11 wherein the recurring units are quinoline diradicals substituted in the 4 position and wherein said diradicals are connected through the positions selected from the group consisting of the 2,6 or 3,6 positions and mixtures thereof.

Claim 14

The electroactive polymer according to claim 4 wherein the recurring units are diradicals selected from the group consisting of quinoline, substituted quinoline, isoquinoline, substituted isoquinoline, and mixtures thereof, wherein said diradicals are connected through the positions selected from the group consisting of the 2,6 or 3,6 positions and mixtures thereof.

Claim 15

The electroactive polymer according to claim 13 wherein the recurring units are quinoline and isoquinoline diradicals.

Claim 16

The electroactive polymer according to claim 13 wherein the recurring units are substituted quinoline and isoquinoline diradicals.

Claim 17

The electroactive polymer according to claim 13 wherein the recurring units are quinoline and substituted isoquinoline diradicals.

Claim 18

The electroactive polymer according to claim 13 wherein the recurring units are substituted quinoline and substituted isoquinoline diradicals.

Claim 19

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, or 13 wherein charge compensating ionic dopant is a cation selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal ions, alkali earth metal ions, Group III metal ions, ##STR38## wherein R xi is a straight or branched chain alkyl of C 1 -C 6 groups or mixtures of said cations.

Claim 20

A tractable electroactive polymer which comprises a charged polymer backbone and charge compensating ionic dopants associated therewith of the formula ##STR39## wherein a is 0 or 1; b is 0 or 1; c is 0 or 1; n is an integer from 2 to 20,000; d is an integer from 1 to 40,000; S is an integer 1, 2, or 3; R is a fused 6,6-membered nitrogen-containing unsaturated diradical-heterocyclic ring system; R' is the same as R or a different fused 6,6-membered unsaturated heterocyclic ring system; X is a connecting unit; Y is the same connecting unit as X or a different connecting unit; and M is a charge compensating ionic dopant of opposite electrical charge to the charge of the polymer backbone, wherein the polymer backbone is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation or a reversible reduction or both to form said charged polymer backbone and wherein said X or Y connecting unit is an atom or group of atoms which can link the R or R' diradicals into said polymer backbone, said connecting unit is selected from the group consisting of ##STR40## wherein R v , R vi and R vii are H or methyl, and mixtures of said connecting units.

Claim 21

A tractable electroactive polymer which comprises a charged polymer backbone and charge compensating ionic dopants associated therewith of the formula ##STR39## wherein a is 0 or 1; b is 0 or 1; c is 0 or 1; n is an integer from 2 to 20,000; d is an integer from 1 to 40,000; S is an integer 1, 2, or 3; R is a fused 6,6-membered nitrogen-containing unsaturated diradical-heterocyclic ring system; R' is the same as R or a different fused 6,6-membered unsaturated heterocyclic ring system; X is a connecting unit; Y is the same connecting unit as X or a different connecting unit; and M is a charge compensating ionic dopant of opposite electrical charge to the charge of the polymer backbone, wherein the polymer backbone is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation or a reversible reduction or both to form said charged polymer backbone and wherein said X or Y connecting unit is an atom or group of atoms which can link the R or R' diradicals into said polymer backbone, said connecting unit is selected from the group consisting of ##STR40## wherein R v , R vi and R vii are H or methyl, and mixtures of said connecting units.

Claim 22

The electroactive polymer according to claim 19 wherein R and R' contain from one to six nitrogen atoms distributed within and among the fused six-member rings wherein each ring contains three or fewer nitrogens bonded sequentially.

Claim 23

The electroactive polymer according to claim 20 wherein the R and R' are substituted, wherein when R or R' are quinoline diradicals, said quinoline diradicals contain one or two substituents on the nitrogen portion of the diradical and one substituent on the carbocyclic portion of the diradical or when R or R' are isoquinoline diradicals, the isoquinoline diradicals contain one substituent on the nitrogen portion of the diradical and one or two substituents on the carbocyclic portion of the diradical, wherein said substituents are selected from the group consisting of H; amino; alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; a cycloaliphatic group of 5 or 6 carbon atoms; an alkenyl group of 2 to 4 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkenyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkynyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 1 to 3 cyano groups, 1 to 3 halogen atoms, dialkyl amino groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and a 5- or 6-membered nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group.

Claim 24

The electroactive polymer according to claim 21 wherein R and R' is quinoline, isoquinoline diradical and substituted derivatives thereof, X and Y connect R and R' at the 2,6 or 3,6 positions.

Claim 25

The electroactive polymer according to claim 22 wherein R and R' are 2,6-quinoline with the formula ##STR41## R", R'" and R iv are a substituent groups selected from H; amino; alkyl 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkoxy 1 to 4 carbon atoms; an alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; a cycloaliphatic group of 5 or 6 carbon atoms; an alkenyl group of 2 to 4 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkenyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkynyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 1 to 3 cyano groups, 1 to 3 halogen atoms, dialkyl amino groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkylthiol of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a 5- or 6-member nitrogen containing unsaturated heterocyclic group.

Claim 26

The electroactive polymer according to claim 23 wherein R ii and R iv are H.

Claim 27

The electroactive polymer according to claim 24 wherein R" and R iv are H, a is 1, b is 0, C is 0, X is ##STR42## and the recurring unit has the following formula: ##STR43##

Claim 28

The electroactive polymer according to claim 24 wherein R iii is H, a is 0, b and c are 1, Y is a biphenyl diradical and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR44##

Claim 29

The electroactive polymer according to claim 24 wherein R iii i is --CH 3 , a is 0, b and c are 1, Y is ##STR45## and Z is a connecting unit and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR46##

Claim 30

The electroactive polymer according to claim 24 wherein a, b, c are 0 and R'" is phenyl and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR47##

Claim 31

The electroactive polymer according to claim 28 wherein the phenyl substituted in the 4 position with a halogen and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR48##

Claim 32

The electroactive polymer according to claim 28 wherein the phenyl substituted in the 4 position with an OCH 3 group and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR49##

Claim 33

The electroactive polymer according to claim 28 wherein X is --O--, a is 1, b is 1, c is 1, Y is ##STR50## and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR51##

Claim 34

The electroactive polymer according to claim 28 wherein a is 1, X is biphenyl diradical, b is zero, c is 1 and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR52##

Claim 35

The electroactive polymer according to claim 28 wherein the nitrogen is substituted with a CH 3 + ion and a b, and c are zero and the recurring unit has the formula: ##STR53##

Claim 36

The electroactive polymer according to claim 19, 21, 24, 28, 29, 30, 32 or 33 wherein c is zero and n is from 10 to 20,000.

Claim 37

The electroactive polymer according to claim 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, or 33 wherein the molecular weight is equal to or greater than 10,000.

Claim 38

The electroactive polymer according to claim 19 wherein R and R' are isoquinoline with the formula: ##STR54## R viii , R ix and R x are a substituent group selected from; H; amino; alkyl 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkoxy 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; a cycloaliphatic group of 5 or 6 carbon atoms; an alkenyl group of 2 to 4 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms; an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkenyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkynyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 1 to 3 cyano, 1 to 3 halogen atoms, dialkyl amino groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkylthiol of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and a 5- or 6-member nitrogen containing heterocyclic group.

Claim 39

The electroactive active polymer according to claim 19, 21, 32, 33, 34, or 36 wherein a is 1, b and c are zero and the recurring unit has the formula: --R--(X).sub.a --.

Claim 40

The electroactive polymer accoding to claim 19, 21, 32, 33, 34, or 36 wherein a, b and c are zero and the recurring unit has the formula: --R--.

Claim 41

The electroactive polymer according to claim 37 wherein c is zero and n is from 10 to 20,000.

Claim 42

The electroactive polymer according to claim 39 wherein n is from 50 to 5,000.

Claim 43

The electroactive polymer according to claim 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, or 36 wherein the charge compensating ionic dopant is a cation selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal ions, alkali earth metal ions, Group III metal ions, and ##STR55## wherein R xi is a straight or branched chain alkyl of C 1 -C 6 groups, or mixtures of said cations.

Claim 44

A polymer which comprises recurring units of the formula: ##STR56## wherein R is alkoxy C 1 -C 4 or a halogen.

Claim 45

A polymer which comprises recurring units of the formula: ##STR56## wherein R is alkoxy C 1 -C 4 or a halogen.