Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Vol.437, No.1-2, 245-253, 1997
Electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of new functionalized polythiophenes electroformed from the oxidation of dithienyls linked by long chain polyether spacers
Polyethers possessing two 3-thienyl units have been synthesized and their electrochemical behaviour has been investigated. The electropolymerization of these symmetrical compounds is found to consume two electrons per molecule of substrate for the polymer formation and 0.65 electron per molecule for the doping. Such a result demonstrates that half of thiophene units is involved in the electropolymerization process and that the as-grown material would be a redox-type polymer, composed of electroactive oligothiophene units linked together by polyether chains, alone or mixed with an electronically conducting polymer possessing pendant polyether chains. As demonstrated by the UV-visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry experiments, further anodic coupling reactions can be performed potentiostatically and lead to a more distorted material possessing macrocyclic cavities.
Keywords:CONDUCTING POLYMERS;THIOPHENE OLIGOMERS;ANODIC-OXIDATION;CROWN-ETHER;ELECTROSYNTHESIS;POLY(THIOPHENE);POLYMERIZATION;POLYFLUORENES;SUBSTITUENTS;PYRROLES