Synthesis and electrical and optoelectronic properties of poly[(N‐benzyldiphenylamino)methane]

Abstract
Poly[(N‐benzyldiphenylamino)methane] was synthesized by the condensation polymerization of benzyldiphenylamine and formalin (30% HCOH in water) and examined for electrical and optoelectronic properties. Dark conductivity and photoconductivity of the polymer film were investigated by steady‐state measurements. Current‐voltage characteristics and intrinsic photoconduction of the polymer in the visible wavelength range were studied. A superlinear current increase is tentatively explained in the light of the Poole‐Frenkel effect. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss parameters of the polymer are independent of frequency (50 Hz–10 kHz) and temperature (273–323 K), respectively. The growth and decay rates of the photocurrent depend on the applied voltage, and the photocurrent varies directly with the light intensity. The activation energies for dark conductivity and photoconductivity are 1.16 eV and 1.05 eV, respectively, and the optical energy band gap as evaluated from absorption coefficient spectra is 2.86 eV.