Electrochemical synthesis of new electroactive polymers from dithienylene-vinylene derivatives

Highly conjugated thiophene derivatives, based on thienylene-vinylene and thieneylene-vinylene-phenylene units, have been synthesized in order to examine: (i) the effect of such regular conjugated monomer structures on the polymerization; (ii) the optical and electrochemical properties of the corresponding conjugated polymers. The all-trans monomers have been prepared by a Wittig reaction and the polymers have then been synthesized electrochemically. The polymers are electrochromic and can be reversibly doped both oxidatively and reductively. Their electrochemical behavior and optical properties have been analysed on the basis of quantum-chemical calculations.