Electrochemical characterization of small organic hole-transport molecules based on the triphenylamine unit

Abstract

A series of substituted triphenylamine-containing organic compounds are synthesized and their hole-transport properties are examined by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods. Several substituted tirphenylamines exhibited irreversible electron-transfer reactions both in the oxidative and reductive scan. On the other hand, the cyclic voltammograms of the p-phenylenediamine series are well defined. N, N ′-bis(4-nitrophenyl)- N, N ′-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (NPD) exhibited two reversible oxidation redox couples at +1.00 and +1.28 V vs. Ag/AgCl in dichloromethane solution. There is one reversible reduction redox couple at −1.12 V and one irreversible wave with E p,c at −1.87 V. Cyano-substituted p-phenylenediamine (CPD) exhibited similar oxidation redox couples. Amino-substituted p-phenylenediamine (APD) is easier to oxidize than NPD and CPD. APD exhibits two reversible oxidation redox couples at +0.40 and +0.70 V and two extra irreversible oxidation waves at +1.26 and +1.52 V. Optically transparent thin-layer electrode (OTTLE) coupled with UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy was used to examine the oxidation products of the above reactions. The electrogenerated cation and dication of the substituted p-phenylenediamine are very stable in the spectroelectrochemical studies. Oxidation of the compound APD exhibited a distinguished absorption pattern, which is different from those of compound NPD and compound CPD.