Effect of Fluorine Substitution of Aniline Ring on Pulsed Plasma Polymer Growth and Structure

The pulsed plasma polymerization of 3‐fluoroaniline is investigated. The resulting polymer is characterized in terms of growth kinetics and chemical structure using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, profilometry and quartz crystal microgravimetry. The characteristics of plasma polyfluoroaniline are compared with those of plasma polyaniline. The doping mechanism of these two plasma polymers is also examined. The results showed that the substitution of the aniline ring in meta position by a fluorine atom results in obtaining a more linear polymer structure. However, the doping is more efficient for polyaniline than for polyfluoroaniline. Moreover, discharge power and on‐time are the major determinants of the growing and the structure of the polymer. The pulsed plasma polymerization of 3‐fluoroaniline has been studied and compared with that of aniline. We have shown by FTIR spectroscopy that the substitution of aniline ring by a fluorine atom results in obtaining a more linear structure. Moreover, the most influent plasma parameters on the growth kinetics and the structure of polyfluoroaniline are discharge power and on‐time.