An accurate prediction of oxidation potential for a series of phenylthiophene derivatives

Abstract

The high-level composite G4 method is used to calculate the gas phase standard molar enthalpies of formation (ΔHf,298) for a series of 3-(para-X-phenyl)thiophenes (PTs), in which X is referred to as the -CH3, -OCH3, -H, -F, and -C1 substituents. The accurate oxidation potential (Eox) values are also calculated with respect to the Ag/AgCl reference electrode in acetonitrile. The results show that the theoretical and experimental Eox values are in excellent agreement with each other; these quantities successfully reveal a linear correlation with various electronic characteristics of PTs. A linear dependence behavior on the Hammett constants of the substitutions can be seen for the Eox values. Analysis of the HOMO-LUMO band gap and the UV–visible spectral properties demonstrate the facility of hole transport for the PTs as a potential candidate for conducting polymers.