An electrochromic polymer based on cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']dithiophene: Effect of a single atom alteration on the electrochemical and optical properties of the polymer backbone

Abstract

An electrochromic polymer, namely “poly(2,6-(3,3-didecyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepin-6-yl)-4,4-dioctyl-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']dithiophene)” (P1), was electrochemically synthesized successfully, and its electrochemical and optical properties were investigated. The band gap of the polymer P1 was calculated as 1.77 eV with -5.45 eV Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and -3.68 eV Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) energy levels. The polymer P1 is bluish purple when neutralized and highly transparent greenish purple when oxidized. This color change was observed around 1.4 s between its redox states and optical contrast ratio was found to be as 49 % and 53 % with 234 cm2/C and 239 cm2/C coloration efficiencies at 590 nm and 634 nm, respectively. Moreover, the properties of this polymer were compared to its analogues and also during this comparison the effect of alteration of a single atom in the pendant unit was tried to be understood.