ELECTROCHEMICAL AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF POLY(3-METHYLTHIOPHENES) ELECTROSYNTHESIZED BY 3,3'-4,4'-DIMETHYL-2,2'-BITHIOPHENES, 3,4'-4,4'-DIMETHYL-2,2'-BITHIOPHENES AND 4,4'-DIMETHYL-2,2'-BITHIOPHENES

The 3,3'-, 3,4'- and 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bithiophenes, prepared in very pure form and characterized by C-13 NMR, were used as starting molecules for electrochemical polymerization of poly(3-methylthiophenes). The optical properties of the resulting polymers were interpreted on the basis of the conformation of the starting dimers determined by force field MMP2 calculations.