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Redox States of Long Oligothiophenes: Two Polarons on a Single Chain
Author(s) -
van Haare John A. E. H.,
Havinga Edsko E.,
van Dongen Joost L. J.,
Janssen René A. J.,
Cornil Jérôme,
Brédas JeanLuc
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-3765(19980807)4:8<1509::aid-chem1509>3.0.co;2-#
Subject(s) - polaron , redox , chain (unit) , chemistry , chemical physics , computational chemistry , materials science , crystallography , inorganic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , electron
Can two isolated radical cations (polarons) exist simultaneously on a π‐conjugated chain or do they coalesce into a single, doubly charged spinless (bipolaron) deformation? This long‐standing question, fundamental to charge transport in conducting polymers, is now resolved by an investigation of the redox states of long oligothiophenes (below) in solution. In contrast to short oligothiophenes, for long oligothiophene dications two individual polarons prevail because of the decrease in Coulomb repulsion energy obtained by moving the two charges apart.