Electrochemical and optoelectronic properties of terthiophene- and bithiophene-based polybenzofulvene derivatives |
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Authors: | Fabrizia Fabrizi de Biani,Annalisa Reale,Vincenzo Razzano,Marco Paolino,Germano Giuliani,Alessandro Donati,Gianluca Giorgi,Wojciech Mró z,Daniele Piovani,Chiara Botta,Andrea Cappelli |
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Affiliation: | Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia and European Research Centre for Drug Discovery and Development, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena Italy, +39 0577 234320 ; Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole (CNR), Via A. Corti 12, 20133 Milano Italy |
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Abstract: | The electrochemical behavior of some polybenzofulvene derivatives bearing bithiophene (BT) or terthiophene (TT) side chains was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Very interestingly, the presence of unsubstituted terminal thiophene moieties allowed poly-6-BT-BF3k and poly-6-TT-BF3k to be cross-linked by electrochemical procedures. Conductive films were obtained by electrodeposition from solutions of these polymers onto electrode surfaces through the formation of covalent cross-linking due to dimerization (i.e. electrochemical oxidation) of the BT or TT side chains. The films showed electrochromic features and switched from yellow-orange (neutral) to green (positively charged) by switching the potential, and were stable to tenths of cycles, without degradation in the wet state in the electrolyte solution. Finally, the thin film obtained by electrodeposition of poly-6-TT-BF3k on a indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate showed in the neutral state a significantly red-shifted photoluminescence (PL) emission (∼40 nm red-shifted with respect to that of the corresponding film obtained by casting procedures), which was consistent with the presence of more conjugated moieties produced by the oxidative dimerization of the TT side chains. The innovative architecture and the easy preparation could lead to a broad range of applications in optoelectronics and bioelectronics for these cross-linked hybrid materials based on π-stacked polybenzofulvene backbones bearing oligothiophene side chains.The electrochemical behavior of some polybenzofulvene derivatives bearing bithiophene (BT) or terthiophene (TT) side chains was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and cross-linked materials were obtained by dimerization of the BT or TT side chains. |
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