Electrosynthesis and characterization of an electrochromic material from poly(1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-benzene) and its application in electrochromic devices

• Published in: Electrochimica acta Vol. 56; no. 7; pp. 2815 - 2822
• Main Authors: Xu, Lianyi, Zhao, Jinsheng, Cui, Chuansheng, Liu, Renmin, Liu, Jifeng, Wang, Huaisheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 28.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemistry; Colors (materials); Computational efficiency; Conjugated polymer; Devices; Electrical, magnetic and optical properties; Electrochemical polymerization; Electrochemistry; Electrochromic device; Electrochromism; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Joining; Mathematical analysis; Miscellaneous (electroosmosis, electrophoresis, electrochromism, electrocrystallization, ...); Monomers; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Poly(1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-benzene); Polymeric films; Properties and characterization; Spectroelectrochemistry; Switching; Conjugated polymer; Electrochromic device; Electrochemical polymerization; Spectroelectrochemistry; Poly(1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-benzene); Scanning electron microscopy; Fourier transformation; Optical memory; Electrochromism; Thiophene copolymer; Surface structure; Characterization; Infrared spectrometry; Conjugated copolymer; Morphology; Phenylene copolymer; Application; Ultraviolet visible spectrometry
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2010.12.062

1,4-Bis(2-thienyl)-benzene monomer is successfully synthesized via coupling reaction. Poly(1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-benzene) (PBTB) is electrochemically synthesized and characterized. Resulting polymer film has distinct electrochromic properties. Its application in electrochromic devices (ECDs) is discussed. PBTB is switched between yellow in the neutral state and green in the oxidized state. Electrochromic switching of PBTB film is performed and the polymer film shows a maximum optical contrast (ΔT %) of 44.8% at 610nm in visible region with a response time of 1.6s. The coloration efficiency (CE) of PBTB is calculated to be 162cm2C−1. Electrochromic device (ECD) based on PBTB and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is also constructed and characterized. Maximum contrast (ΔT %) and switching time of the device are measured as 29.5% and 0.43s at 628nm. The CE of the device is calculated to be 408.9cm2C−1. Clear change from green (at neutral state) to blue color (at full oxidized state) of this ECD is demonstrated with reasonable cycle life.