Synthesis, characterization, electrical and thermal properties of hydrazone polymers derived from 2,4–dinitro phenyl hydrazine

•Polyhydrazones (PHZ) synthesized by oxidative polycondensation.•PHZs have a high thermal stability.•The PHZs is greater the tendency of coordination with iodine and higher order of conductance is obtained.•The dielectric constant and loss of PHZs are increases with increase in temperature. A series of hydrazone polymers,P–2DHP, P–3DHPandP–4DHP were synthesized by oxidative polycondensation of hydrazone monomers with NaOCl in aqueous alkaline medium. The structure of the monomers and polymers were confirmed by various spectroscopic tools and electrical conductivity of polymers was measured by using four point probe technique. The electrical conductivity of polymers is increasing with iodine vapour contact time up to 168 h. The dielectric properties of the polymers have been investigated at different temperature and frequency. The TGA results showed that the polymer P–4DHP has highest thermal stability due to the greater the number of chain propagation sites than other polymers. [Display omitted]