Processable and multichromic polymer of bis-3-hexylthiophene substituted 4-tert-butylphenyl quinoxaline

• Published in: Organic electronics Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 296 - 302
• Main Authors: Ozyurt, Funda, Gunbas, E. Gorkem, Durmus, Asuman, Toppare, Levent
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-06-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electrochemical polymerization; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Multichromism; Optoelectronic devices; Physics; Processable conducting polymers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Spray coating techniques; Processable conducting polymers; Multichromism; 82.45.Aa; 82.35.Cd; 78.20.Jq; 65.40.Gk; Electrochemical polymerization; Processable conducting polymers; Multichromism; Electrochemical polymerization; Fourier transformation; Spectral properties; Doping; Glass; Electrochromic device; Spray coating; Indium oxide; 65.40.Gk; 82.45.Aa; 78.20.Jq; 82.35.Cd; Switching; Conducting polymers; Cyclic voltammetry; Electrochemical properties; Tin addition; Thiophene derivative polymer; Spectrophotometer; Nuclear magnetic resonance
• ISSN: 1566-1199; 1878-5530
• DOI: 10.1016/j.orgel.2007.11.006

A new polythiophene derivative, poly-2,3-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-5,8-bis(4-hexylthiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline (PHTQ) was synthesized by both chemical and electrochemical polymerization and its electrochemical properties were reported. The monomer was electrochemically polymerized in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAPF6) as the supporting electrolyte in dichloromethane–acetonitrile (5:95, v:v). Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were utilized for the characterization of the monomer and the soluble polymer. The polymer was further characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Spectroelectrochemistry and switching ability of the polymer were investigated by UV–vis spectrophotometer and cyclic voltammetry. The polymer revealed three distinctive colors upon doping which indicated that the polymer is multichromic. tert-Butyl group on the pendant phenyl rings and hexyl groups on thiophene eased the solution processability of the electrochromic polymer. The electrochemical and spectral properties of the chemically synthesized polymer were investigated via spray coating on ITO glass slides.