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A Highly Stable, New Electrochromic Polymer: Poly(1,4‐bis(2‐(3′,4′‐ethylenedioxy) thienyl)‐2‐methoxy‐5‐2″‐ethylhexyloxybenzene)
Author(s) -
Sonmez G.,
Meng H.,
Zhang Q.,
Wudl F.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200304317
Subject(s) - electrochromism , materials science , ethylenedioxy , pedot:pss , absorbance , polymer , electrochemistry , monomer , band gap , photochemistry , polymer chemistry , chemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , optics , composite material , alkyl , physics
Abstract A highly stable new electrochromic polymer, poly(1,4‐bis(2‐(3′,4′‐ethylenedioxy)thienyl)‐2‐methoxy‐5‐2″‐ethylhexyloxybenzene) (P(BEDOT‐MEHB)) was synthesized and its electrochemical and electrochromic properties are reported. P(BEDOT‐MEHB) showed a very well defined electrochemistry with a relatively low oxidation potential of the monomer at + 0.44 V versus Ag/Ag + , E 1/2 at – 0.35 V versus Ag/Ag + and stability to long‐term switching up to 5000 cycles. A high level of stability to over‐oxidation has also been observed as this material shows limited degradation of its electroactivity at potentials 1.4 V above its half‐wave potential. Spectroelectrochemistry showed that the absorbance of the π–π* transition in the neutral state is blue‐shifted compared to PEDOT, displaying a maximum at 538 nm (onset at 640 nm), thus giving an almost colorless, highly transparent oxidized polymer with a bandgap of 1.95 eV. Different colors observed at different oxidation levels and strong absorption in the near‐IR make this polymer a good candidate for several applications.