A new conducting polymer of 2,5-bis(2-thienyl)-1H-(pyrrole) (SNS) containing carbazole subunit: Electrochemical, optical and electrochromic properties

We report here the synthesis of a new electroactive monomer 3,6-di-tert-butyl-[4-(2,5-di-2-thienyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)phenyl]-9H-carbazole in five steps and polymerization of this monomer by two different procceses: Kumada Coupling and electro-oxidative. The product obtained by chemical polymerization exhibits a high thermal stability and narrow molecular weight distribution. While, in the UV-vis absorption spectrum of monomer the absorption peaks appear at 338 nm, the chemically synthesized polymer absorbs at 428 nm with 90 nm red shift. Cyclic voltammogram of monomer shows two separate oxidation processes which reflect the first oxidation at +0.84 V and a second one at +1.43 V. When the polymeric film prepared by electrochemical process was subjected to a repeated cyclic scan between -0.2V and +1.0V, it switches among three different colors (orange, green and blue). The oxidation and reduction response times were calculated as 2.0 s for this polymer film and exhibits high redox stability. The results anticipate that this kind of polymers can be used for designing electrochromics based on the use of one molecule for the generation of three basic colors (RGB). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.