The synthesis and electrochemical properties of anodic electrochromic materials phenothiazine derivatives and their electrochromic devices

In order to develop novel electrochromic materials, a series of N-substituted phenothiazine derivatives (PDs) were synthesized via S(N)2 reaction and characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopy. Their electrochemical properties were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and their spectrochemical properties were examined by UV-vis spectroscopy. It was found that phenothiazine derivatives in electrochromic devices (ECDs) showed reversible, clear color changes on electrochemical process. An electrochromic effect was observed with a color change from colorless to red or green for the phenothiazine derivatives synthesized. The phenothiazine derivatives synthesized are promising candidate for visible electrochromic devices, for their outstanding electrochromic behaviors plus the inexpensive starting materials and short synthetic routes. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.