Tuning the spectral, thermal and morphological properties of Poly(o-phenylenediamine-co-vaniline)

A recent advancement is seen in the field of functionalised conjugated polymers due to its futuristic applications, which can be diversified in optoelectronics and biomedical fields. To investigate the functionalization and its effect, o-phenylenediamine (OPD) is functionalised with 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzaldehyde, commonly known as vanillin, resulting in Schiff’s base, further polymerised to obtain alternating copolymer. The FT-IR, UV-Visible, fluorescence, X-ray diffraction studies were performed to investigate the properties revealed the variation in optoelectronic properties for POPD, Schiff’s base and Poly(oPD-co-Van). Thermogravimetric analysis revealed the higher thermal stability of Poly(oPD-co-Van). Enhanced properties were seen for copolymer suitable for optoelectronics. Antioxidant properties were also investigated and revealed that tailored copolymer exhibited significant antioxidant activity against DPPH free radical and hydrogen peroxide.