Tuning optical and electronic properties of poly(4,4'-triphenylamine vinylene)s by post-modification reactions

Abstract

New triphenylamine-based polyarylenevinylenes with pendant phenylethynyl- and 3-pyridylethynyl substituents were synthesized by Stille polycondensation of trans-1,2-bis(tributylstannyl)ethene with two new ethynyl substituted triphenylamine monomers, i.e., N,N-bis(4-iodophenyl)-4'-(phenylethynyl) phenylamine and N,N-bis(4-iodophenyl)-4'-(3-pyridylethynyl) phenylamine. The polymers were characterized by spectral methods and cyclic voltammetry and their properties were compared with those of the unsubstituted poly(4,4'-triphenylamine vinylene). Chemical post-modifications of the polymers by tetracyanoethylene addition to the triple bond, and quaternization of pyridyl group with accent on the fine-tuning of the optical and electrochemical properties were also studied. Density functional theory calculations provide a reliable interpretation of the observed spectra and electrochemical data.