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Molecular engineering tuning optoelectronic properties of thieno[3,2-b]thiophenes-based electrochromic polymers

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Abstract

Thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TT) monomers end-capped with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) moieties are electropolymerized to form π-conjugated polymers with distinct electrochromic (EC) properties. Steric and electronic factors (electron donor and acceptor substituents) in the side groups of the TT core, as well as the structure of the polymer backbone strongly affect the electrochemical and optical properties of the polymers and their electrochromic characteristics. The studied polymers show low oxidation potentials, tunable from–0.78 to +0.30 V (vs. Fc/Fc+) and the band gaps from 1.46 to 1.92 eV and demonstrate wide variety of color palettes in polymer films in different states, finely tunable by structural variations in the polymer backbone and the side chains. EC materials of different colors in their doped/dedoped states have been developed (violet, deep blue, light blue, green, brown, purple-red, pinkish-red, orange-red, light gray, cyan and colorless transparent). High optical contrast (up to 79%), short response time (0.57–0.80 s), good cycling stability (up to 91% at 2000 cycles) and high coloration efficiency (up to 234.6 cm2 C–1) have been demonstrated and the influence of different factors on the above parameters of EC polymers have been discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectromagnetic Functional Materials of Shenzhen Science and Technology Plan (ZDSYS20140509094114164), the Shenzhen Peacock Program (KQTD2014062714543296), Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant (JCYJ20140509093817690), Nanshan Innovation Agency Grant (KC2015ZDYF0016A), Guangdong Key Research Project (2014B090914003, 2015B090914002), Guangdong Talents Project, the National Basic Research Program of China (2015CB856505), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51373075), Guangdong Academician Workstation (2013B090400016), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2014A030313800). Igor F. Perepichka thanks to the Santander Universities Research Mobility Award to support his travel to Shenzhen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Advanced Materials, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Mengmeng Zhu, Weishuo Li, Panpan Xu, Jingjing Shi, Shan Shao, Xiaosi Zhu, Yitong Guo, Yaowu He, Zhao Hu, Hongtao Yu, Yanan Zhu & Hong Meng

  2. School of Chemistry, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK

    Igor F. Perepichka

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  1. Mengmeng Zhu
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  2. Weishuo Li
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Correspondence to Hong Meng.

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Zhu, M., Li, W., Xu, P. et al. Molecular engineering tuning optoelectronic properties of thieno[3,2-b]thiophenes-based electrochromic polymers. Sci. China Chem. 60, 63–76 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-016-0305-9

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