Information for Chemical Communications Blue Emitting Polyaniline

Undoped PANI (EB) was synthesized in the 50% oxidized form by oxidative polymerization of aniline in aqueous HCl solution using (NH 4) 2 S 2 O 8 , at 0-5 ˚C and subsequent dedoping in 0.5 M aqueous NaOH solution. All subsequent reactions were carried out in a controlled atmosphere glove box (MBraun LABSTAR), where the moisture and O 2 levels were maintained below 5 ppm. Deprotonation of the amine N was carried out by treating undoped PANI (0.1812 g, 1 mmol) with 2 ml of 2.5 M (5 mmol) solution of n-butyl lithium (nBuLi) in n-hexane. To ensure complete deprotonation, excess nBuLi was used and the reaction mixture was allowed to equilibrate for 36 h at room temperature (300 K). Lithiated PANI (LPAN) thus obtained is yellowish-brown in color. It was washed with copious amount of dry n-heptane, and subsequently reacted with boron-trihalide (2-fold molar excess) to form LPBX 3. Freshly distilled BF 3-diethyl ether was used as the source of BF 3 ; BCl 3 and BBr 3 were used as a 1 M solution in dry heptane and dichloromethane, respectively. The complexation reaction was carried out overnight at 300 K. The light green colored product (LPBX 3) was washed with dry n-heptane, and pumped overnight. LPBX 3 dissolves readily in DMSO to give a bright-yellow colored solution.